Zhejiang official arrested after being blackmailed over fake sex photo

A Zhejiang official has been arrested for corruption and keeping mistresses after he paid a blackmailer 100,000 yuan (HK$124,000) for a forged sex photo, Zhejiang based Qiangjiang Evening News on Friday reported.

Xuan Xiajin, the former education bureau chief in Shangyu city, received a fake sex photo with a letter demanding money in October last year. Fearing that speaking out might damage his reputation and career, he paid off the blackmailer. But soon after he paid 100,000 yuan, the blackmailer asked for more money, the report said.

Xuan then called police, who arrested the blackmailer.

But this was the only the beginning of Xuan’s troubles.

Just as people started asking why he would pay for a fake sex photo, authorities launched an investigation over allegations that Xuan was sleeping with large numbers of female teachers.

This resulted in Xuan’s expulsion from his position in December. Now Xuan has been arrested and is staying in a local detention centre, the report said.

"It seems that sending sex photos to officials is a fast way to get rich," commented a Chinese netizen on Sina Weibo, China's twitter-like service.