Prosecutors in the Tuscan city of Prato said Monday they are investigating a case of alleged non-consensual publication of sexually explicit images after a former local council whip for Premier Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) party said he had been the victim of blackmail after the theft of an intimate photo after he was lured online.
"The prosecutor's office is investigating the issues raised in the complaints filed by Tommaso Cocci and other political figures, in order to verify the reported facts and identify criminal liability, if any," they said.
"The office has long been engaged in conducting targeted investigations and, with reference to the facts presented, is currently proceeding with charges of disseminating sexually explicit images and videos without the interested party's consent and defamation.
"These necessary investigations, due to their sensitivity, especially considering the election period, require the utmost confidentiality." Prato Chief prosecutor Luca Tescaroli, issued a statement on Cocci, the former leader of the Brothers of Italy party in the Prato city council, who was allegedly blackmailed for an intimate photo he sent after being lured online.
Cocci is standing as a regional councillor in upcoming elections in Tuscany.
