Fake model scout gets man to strip
BY AJUN RAMACHANDRAN
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Australia
Australian police are looking for a chubby man in his 50s who posed as a male modelling agent and convinced a 19-year-old man to strip for him during an audition.
The scout interviewed the eager teen - who he met in Sydney - over an eight hour period, which included taking him to a bar and a restaurant and having his measurements taken.
But police believe it was never the intention of the man to hire the applicant as a model.
The "model scout'' first approached the 19-year-old at his workplace in Manly in late April, police said.
He told him he was the owner of a male modelling agency, was interested in the teen, and invited him to come in to his Newport office the next day for an interview.
"I think [the 19-year-old] initially believed the man to represent a genuine business,'' said Detective Inspector Craig Wonders of Northern Beaches police.
"I'd suggest he was new to the industry and certainly looking to make a start in that type of work.''
During the interview the next day, the "scout'' took the 19-year-old to a tailor in Manly and paid for his measurements to be taken.
When the pair returned to the man's Newport office, the teen was to told to strip.
The "interview'' then continued at a location in Avalon, but police would not elaborate say whether it was an office or a private residence.
The older man then took the 19-year-old to a bar in Manly and a restaurant in Newport.
At the end of the interview the 19-year-old was told his application had been successful.
But he did not hear from the older man again, and realised he'd been conned.
"Once he determined it was not a bonafide modelling scout, that's when he became concerned,'' Detective Inspector Wonders said.
Police believe it was never the intention of the man to hire the applicant as a model.
Detective Inspector Wonders said it was possible the fake modelling agent had struck before.
"I think it's fairly unique but we don't know if any others have been lured by this type of thing,'' he said.
"We're keen to identify if others have been affected and we can start to build a better picture.''
Police described the modelling scout as white or European in appearance, aged in his early 50s, chubby and with a large build, about 183cm tall and with black, and some grey, hair.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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#2 - Get a life why don't you.
Jeremy #8 Brilliant!
Shirley #2 - no, you can't use 'modelling agent' as that implies a substance that is used in the hobby of modelling, for instance making model planes, ships and cars, and I for one will not stand for the constant denigration by the gutter press of the wonderful art of model planes, ships and cars.
Perhaps the headline should have read 'A male human convinced another male human that the first male human owned an agency that hires male human models and the second male human took off all of his garments which left the second male human in a state of disrobe, when in fact the first male human did not own an agency that hires male human models and the second male human now feels humilated.'
Anyone have any issues with that? I apologise for the ongoing use of the word 'Human', I realise that over half of the word is male ('-man') but I can't think of an alternative. Hu-person? no, that has '-son' in it, which of course is exclusionary to daughters and thus inherently sexist. Hu-homo-sapiens? No wait, the fundamentalist churchies don't like the use of the word 'homo' or the inference that there has been any other species or subspecies of hu-per(sonordaughter).
surely police have better things to do than worry about this trival incident.
To Shirley #2
It is PC people like you that are ruining NZ. I was a scout and at no point viewing the title or article did i make a link with the scouting movement. Surely the words 'model scout' in the title are self-explanatory?
What is wrong with you Woman? Pull your head in.
Ha Ha Ha - one born every minute
Shirley (#2) are you for real?
Don't be so sutpid. It is clear that this story does not anyway imply that the individual concerned has anything to do with Scout Association members. The word "scout" is wider than camps and badges ...
How is this news? The idiot stripped for some guy who got his jollies. End. Not really seeing why this is news?
The heading - using the word "scout" -is sensationalising this story, "modelling agent" as used in the first paragraph would have been better as it does not cast aspersions on Scout Association members.
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Aspiring talent need to be very careful. This incident did not lead to too much harm. However I know a case in the US where a girl was murdered by a man posing as a photographer and offering her 'work'.
I am surprises that a 19 year old male would not check out the 'scout's' authenticity before stripping off his clothing in private with a stranger. Not how it's done in legitimate business circles.