After more than fifteen years crossed by procedural delays, defensive approaches and alleged power interference, the case known as “VIP prostitution” —one of the most resonant in Argentina regarding sexual exploitation linked to the world of entertainment—was finally elevated to oral and public trial. The start of the debate was set for October 26 at 9 a.m. in the courts of Commodore Py.
The main defendant in the file is the modeling representative Leandro Santos, along with his siblings Rodrigo and Micaela, identified as members of a structure that would have operated for years under the façade of the Latin American Models agency.
According to the judicial investigation, said agency had a strong insertion in the fields of television, theater and nightlife, consolidating a network of contacts that, according to the accusation, exceeded the legal activity of modeling. In this context, the case exposes a network where entertainment figures, businessmen and sectors of political power intersect.
The case had international implications. The investigation originated in Uruguay, within the framework of operations carried out during summer seasons in Punta del Este. There, the judge specialized in Organized Crime, Graciela Gatti, in case No. 474-161/2010—known in the media as “Operation White”—requested the extradition of Santos.
In Argentina, the file was processed in the federal courts of Comodoro Py. Initially Judge Claudio Bonadío intervened and later Judge Sebastián Casanello, who ordered the prosecution of the defendants in case No. 1122/2015, along with million-dollar embargoes on their assets.
In the resolution to bring the case to trial, the magistrate maintained that the organization would have recruited women under misleading promises linked to modeling – such as participation in parades, events or television programs – and then diverted them to sexual encounters with people with high purchasing power. According to the indictment, the circuit included recruitment in Uruguay, transfers to Punta del Este and Buenos Aires, and accommodation in both cities.
One of the relevant elements of the file is the reiteration of Santos’ name as a link in different investigations for alleged crimes of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and extortion.
The case also gained public visibility through different media and judicial episodes. Among them, the appearance of models linked to the agency in the context of the case for the death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, as well as the scandal that involved the political leader Martín Insaurralde and the model Sofía Clerici, who later presented a judicial document in which she acknowledged having performed tasks as a “travel companion” in exchange for money and luxury goods.
by RN
