Apparently they've been dealing with this asshole for awhile!

Edis Kayalar, a German male model, was threatening to sell a provocative picture he obtained from the nanny of Cindy Crawford's now 8-year-old daughter, Kaia, to the tabloids!

The photo shows Kaia tied to a chair and bound in revealing clothing, which the nanny claims she took as part of a "cops and robbers" game.

Very disturbing.

Kayalar first got in touch with Cindy and her husband Rande Gerber in July pretending to be "a good guy" and offered to return the photo he found for a reward. Gerber met with him privately and gave him $1,000 for his trouble.

2 days later Kayalar contacted the couple again and threatened to sell a copy of the photo he still had to the tabloids for $500,000. They promptly told the FBI and he was deported shortly after since he overstayed his tourist visa on October 14.

Then on November 1 Kayalar contacted Cindy and Rande again by e-mail from Germany making tabloid threats again unless they gave him $100,000! Kayalar said he knows he committed a "fucked up" crime, but he "deserves" the money.

Awful!

Now the German police are searching in the city of Stuttgart for Kayalar who has a notoriously BAD reputation.

His former girlfriend took out a restraining order against the male model and said that Kayalar used to beat her and he threatened her life!

The nanny, whose identity has not been released, could be in trouble as well despite her claims that the photo was taken innocently. She was dating Kayalar at the time the photo was taken.

This is some effed up shiz!

We're glad Cindy and Rande are working with the FBI to sort this out and hopefully put that creep behind bars!

[Image via Nikki Nelson / WENN.]