Beware of the so-called 'talent searchers' - SSP Nesbeth
Published:Friday | May 26, 2017 | 12:00 AMChristopher Thomas
WESTERN BUREAU:
Senior Superintendent of Police Marlon Nesbeth, who heads the St James Police Division, said young people, especially girls and young women, should be careful about falling prey to bogus 'talent searchers' who they meet either online or in person.
"These youngsters who get themselves caught in the Web (online) need to understand that these men are very devious, and they can be easily lured away," Nesbeth,told The Gleaner last week. "If you are not sure, refer to the police, so that we can do some due diligence on your behalf."
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According to Nesbeth, perpetrators will pretend to be talent searchers for models or beauty contestants so as to trick young people that they are legitimate, when their real motive is to lure them into pornography, among other sordid activities.
"Individuals are sometimes told to do certain things that involve photography or video, and that might be something that borders on pornography or nudity," said Nesbeth. "The perpetrators will then use that in a threatening way to blackmail these young ladies to have them do more stuff."
Nesbeth's comments come in the wake of a recent case in the St James Parish Court, where Keron Watson, who was charged with breaches of the Trafficking in Persons Act, pleaded guilty.
The allegations against Watson are that he conned an 18-year-old into believing he was a talent scout and invited her to his home. He subsequently held her there against her will and had her perform various sexual acts with different men for a fee, which he pocketed.
After he released the woman, he threatened to blackmail her with videos he had made of her in the various sexual acts. The matter was reported to the police and he was arrested.