A ‘Swiss gigolo’, dirty pictures, and BMW heiress Susanne Klatten

Sorry, sex scandal fans, said Owen Thomas in Gawker. Helg Sgarbi, the “Swiss gigolo” who wooed then tried to blackmail billionaire BMW heiress Susanne Klatten, confessed and apologized Monday at the start of what would have been a “riveting trial.” Now Sgarbi, who had someone videotape one lovemaking session with Klatten, faces six years in jail, and the show’s over.

Klatten is usually publicity shy, said Georg Gomolka in Germany’s Bild. And she could have shielded herself from embarrassment by remaining anonymous, as other victims of Sgarbi’s crimes did. But when Sgarbi threatened to release compromising pictures if Klatten didn’t give him millions, Klatten “bravely” faced going public, and confessing to her husband, to bring the gigolo to justice.

Sgarbi’s confession at least “spared Klatten” and several other women he swindled from the added humiliation of testifying in court, said Germany’s Der Spiegel. But don’t expect him to get time off for good behavior, at least not until he reveals where he stashed the $10 million he coaxed out of Klatten—before the blackmail attempt—by telling her the Mafia was coming after him.

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