Heads up: fake modeling scout

[gaybucks_chip]

We had a guy in his early 40s contact us several years ago claiming to be the head of "the largest male modeling agency in the US"...

He did supply us with a handful of models which were delighted to work with us, but we later found on talking to the models that the guy pressured each model to do "audition" videos, told the models that *we* wanted to see "more auditions" (we prohibit our scouts from taking any nude photos of models, or soliciting or participating in sex with them, for professionalism reasons) and worse, he often pressured them to have oral or j/o sex with them.

As soon as we started hearing this stuff, we checked things out... and the guy was simply a compulsive, pathological liar. There was no company, all the models he supposedly had were nonexistent, as were the connections with mainstream companies he quoted in specific detail. (None had ever heard of him.)

We unceremoniously dumped him as a model scout... but I just found out a couple days ago that he's apparently using our name to try and get connections with new webmasters, and worse, he's sending pics that WE SHOT AND OWN along with pics from other photographers, and representing them as his own work.

We have also heard from several sources (though I've not personally confirmed) that he was busted for alleged CP.

We're sending him a cease and desist, but it's probably good to let everyone in the industry know about him.

His name is David Weirsum, he is in Racine, WI, and his (nonexistent) company is either XclusivelyXY or WAW, Inc (Weirsum and Associates, Worldwide.)

If you happen to get an email from him, please (a) run the other way and (b) forward the email to me.

Thanks!!

[basschick]

thanks for the heads-up but someone like this probably won't be stopped by a c&d - or anything else that would stop a normal person.

[Chilihost]

Its amazing the number of emails that we get from so-called model companies that run with yahoo or hotmail email accounts and submit photos that have been watermarked by various other sites. I do not support spammers and delete these emails immediately.

cheers,
Luke