14 February 2023 , 23:23
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Levi Davis was allegedly being blackmailed before he went missing in Barcelona, according to a private investigator.
The rugby ace posted a video online about being blackmailed by thugs who had threatened to kill him before the post was removed from his social media profiles.
In the now-deleted video, Levi, 24, claims the blackmail started shortly after he appeared on The X Factor: Celebrity back in 2019 alongside Thom Evans.
Now, a private investigator who has offered a £10,000 reward for any information on discovering where Levi might be had claimed that somebody had a compromising picture of the star.
Levi Davis disappeared in Barcelona in October (Bath Rugby/BPM Media)Taking to Twitter, investigator Gavin Burrows tweeted: "Following Levi Davis' case being brought to light, we have received valuable alleged information from a number of former participants & other fellow contestants over a number of years, in the X-Factor program who have confirmed the claims made in Davis' video seem to be true.
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"We believe that individuals allegedly took advantage of their position in the entertainment world as representatives, agents and/or public relations, not directly related to the X-Factor show, to engage in grooming practices on young people aspiring to participate in the program.
Levi claimed he was filmed engaging in sexual acts while under the influence (bbc.co.uk)
His former co-stars appeared to confirm he was being blackmailed (Beretta/Sims/REX/Shutterstock)"Then, these individuals forced them to participate in supposedly sexually explicit videos for blackmail purposes. We can only allege, but we confirm we are actively investigating. Some of these individuals continue to hide and fear for their safety."
He added: "We believe that Levi Davis is currently in hiding, in an involuntary exile to protect himself from these toxic individuals.
"Additionally, as we continue our investigations, we have been approached by certain individuals related to the entertainment world.
Levi was last seen leaving the Old Irish Pub in Barcelona on October 29, 2022 (Mirror.co.uk)
A private investigator believes Levi may have drowned in Barcelona Port, close to where his passport was discovered (bbc.co.uk)"However, instead of being concerned about the investigation or Levi Davis' whereabouts, these individuals have focused on asking us about how we obtained the information and from whom we received it. This interest has further increased our list of suspects in the case."
There is no suggestion that anybody working for The X Factor is involved in the alleged blackmailing or possession of the indecent images of Levi.
In the video which has now been shared with permission from Levi's family, the rugby star claims he was filmed performing sexual acts on people after being drugged.
He alleges that he was, at the time, under the influence after meeting a man following his appearance on The X Factor.
Davis was last seen leaving The Old Irish Pub in Barcelona on October 29, 2022, after previously boarding a ferry from the island of Ibiza.
Mr Burrows also believes that Levi may have drowned in the Barcelona port close to where his passport was discovered.
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