German Man Accused of Blackmailing Cindy Crawford Now in Custody

By PopEater Staff Posted Nov 17th 2009 08:30AM

The German model who prosecutors say tried to blackmail Cindy Crawford turned himself in Stuttgart late Monday. Edis Kayalar was charged Nov. 12 with trying to squeeze $100,000 out of the model and her husband Rande Gerber by threatening to release a photo of their daughter, then 7, bound to a chair and gagged.

Kayalar, 26, was recently deported to Germany and now faces one count of extortion. If convicted could face up to two years in prison. Kayalar is to appear before a judge later Tuesday who will rule on whether he is to remain in detention.

The photo was reportedly taken by the couples nanny during a game of "cops and robbers," according to an affidavit obtained by the AP. The unnamed nanny has not been charged. According to affidavit, Kayalar stole the photo from nanny somehow and repeatedly tried to get money from Crawford and Gerber starting this July.

Kayalar initially had second thoughts and was going to return the photo. Gerber later met with him at a bar, where Kayalar showed him a copy of the photo and said he also took a handwritten note from the nanny's apartment that read, "The baby sitter went crazy and tied everyone up and they need your help! Please."

The nanny said she had taken the photo as a prank and was going to post it and the note on the front door of the family's house, according to the affidavit. The nanny never went through with the joke.

Gerber eventually got the photo from Kayalar and paid him $1,000 in cash "for his trouble," the affidavit said. But Kayalar is accused of demanding more money while saying he had another copy of the photo.

"He believed he could have received $500,000 from the tabloids for the photograph and that he deserved more money from them," the document said.

Kayalar was taken into federal custody for an immigration violation three months ago and deported. However, he called Crawford and Gerber again on Nov. 1 and threatened to sell or release the photo to the media if his demand for $100,000 wasn't met, the affidavit said.

According to TMZ, he is a former model for HERMAEVENTS.

Kayalar said he "was not trying to destroy a little girl's life, but the release of the photograph was not going to be something positive for the victims' image," according to the document.

Kayalar allegedly gave Gerber a German bank account number and routing information and saying the money should be wired within three days or the photo would be made public.

Crawford's spokeswoman Annett Wolf issued a statement saying, "Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford intend to pursue any and all available legal action against anyone who aids the perpetrator in the distribution or sale of the photograph of their daughter."

Crawford, who divorced actor Richard Gere in 1995, married Gerber in 1998. They have two children.

Tags: cindy crawford, CindyCrawford