Missouri Governor Eric Greitens has been indicted by a St. Louis grand jury on a felony charge of invasion of privacy.
The charge stems from a 2015 affair and allegations that he threatened to release a nude photograph of the woman, taken while she was blindfolded and her hands were bound, if she ever spoke publicly about the affair.
Greitens denied he resorted to blackmail, but admitted to an affair with his hairdresser after it was made public by a St. Louis television station last month, prompting St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to launch an investigation.
The indictment accuses Greitens of not only knowingly photographing the woman, but also transmitting the image “in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer.”
The penalty for first-degree invasion of privacy in Missouri is up to four years in prison.
Greitens' office confirmed the governor was arrested and arraigned Thursday in St. Louis. He was later released on his own recognizance.