Woman in China's video sex scandal charged with extortion

A Chinese woman who appeared in sleaze-video showing district level Communist Party Chinese officials that triggered a major scandal leading to their arrest, has been charged with extortion, media reports said.
If convicted, Zhao Hongxia could face years in jail, the South China Morning Post report said.
The report added that along with the woman the 'whistleblower' of the case Zhu Ruifeng, could also face up to 15 years jail term.
Zhao allegedly worked with other young women to trap officials of Chongqing city including Lei Zhengfu, the former secretary of Chongqing's Beibei District Committee of the Party leading to his arrest and expulsion of 10 other officials.

Using Zhao and several other young women as bait, Chongqing businessman Xiao Ye was accused of luring at least a dozen Chongqing officials into a 'honey trap'.
Xiao trained the women and asked them to secretly videotape officials when having sex with them. He reportedly blackmailed these officials and demanded they give him lucrative government contracts, according to media reports.

Zhao who is currently under detentionis is now married and mother of a one-year-old.
Reflecting on what she had done, she said she had been too naive. After Zhao's arrest, netizens sympathised with her and called her 'a victim herself' while others jokingly termed her as an exceptional "anti-corruptions fighter".

Her video went viral after two citizen journalists, Ji Xuguang and Zhu Ruifeng, posted stills from it online showing the district chief in bed with a woman who was known to frequently accompany him and refer to him as "godfather".