Fake agent seeking nude photos released on bail

A 32-year-old Greek national, a permanent resident of Larnaca, was released on bail on Friday until his case will be heard in court on December 6.

The man had originally been remanded for five days in connection with complaints filed by two women, 23 and 25, who told police that, in Facebook and Skype chats, he promised them a hefty sum of money if they agreed to send him nude pictures of themselves, which he would use to promote their modelling careers.

The two women, who have lived in Cyprus for the last 12 and 17 years, respectively, said they received no money even though they did send the pictures.

During questioning, he admitted to having chatted with the two women on social media, but gave a different account of events.

According to the 23-year-old, he had messaged her on Facebook that he had sent her the money he promised, which then turned out to have been a lie.

The 32-year-old suspect appears to have been involved in multiple incidents, with several aspiring models across Cyprus claiming to have fallen victim to his scam.

He was set free by the Paphos district court after he paid €10,000 in cash, handed over his travel documents, was registered on a stop list and was ordered to report to Larnaca’s main police station every Saturday.

Police arrested the 32-year-old on November 26 in Larnaca.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.