Beauty show inquiry into Bristol teenager's sex claims

Amy Willerton said she wanted to raise awareness of the flaws of the competition

The organiser of a beauty pageant in South Korea has said claims of sexual harassment by a Bristol teenager are being investigated.

Amy Willerton, 19, competed in the Miss Asia Pacific World earlier this month.

But the current Miss Bath, Miss Bristol and Miss University Wales alleged competitors were sexually harassed, bribed and not provided with food.

Lawrence Choi said many allegations were "impossible" but the sexual harassment was being investigated.

Fifty competitors from around the world attended the event in the hope of winning $20,000.

'Completely corrupt'

Ms Willerton said: "They put us in a hotel with no beds, they often didn't feed us. I started complaining straight away, but they would always reply with 'you won't win the contest if you complain'.

"Then it moved onto bribery, sexual harassment. Girls were offered places in the competition in exchange for sex, in exchange for money, it was completely corrupt."

Mr Choi said many of the allegations were "impossible" and said "there were like 150 lunch boxes, she might be not eating on this for different taste."

He added that the claims of bribery were unlikely and said of the complaints of sexual harassment "generally, we do not think, but we investigate".

Mr Choi said Miss Wales had been a last minute entry and "some participants were not well prepared including Miss Wales. Such factors contributed to the negative outcome."

Legal action

Miss Willerton said she was invited to the competition two days before it started because officials did not have an entrant from the UK.

She added: "Lawrence Choi never showed his face once. He didn't even show up to the final. We just don't know who he is and of course he's going to deny it.

"I'm not a fussy eater, I'll eat anything. Whenever there was food I was starving as it was the only meal of the day. They would order maybe 30 meals for 50 girls."

She added the investigation into the allegations of sexual assault was "good news" but she was unlikely to take the case further after being told by solicitors she would have to take it through Korean courts.

"I'm not spending any more money on this. All I can do is raise awareness and show all the flaws."