Court documents filed today allege the supermodel and her family are victims of an extortion plot over a photo of her daughter tied to a chair.

According to the AP, authorities allege a German man tried to extort $100,000 from Crawford and her husband, Rande Gerber.

The FBI and U.S. Attorney's office claim an acquaintance of the couple's former nanny is threatening to sell a picture of their daughter Kaia. The photo, allegedly taken by the nanny, shows the then 7-year-old girl bound to a chair and gagged, wearing revealing clothing.

Cops say 26-year-old German national Edis Kayalar met the nanny at a bar and then stole the photo from her home. Afterward, according to court papers, he contacted the family, claiming he didn't want the picture to fall into the wrong hands. That's when cops say he demanded money. When asked, the nanny (who had recently been fired) told Gerber the photo was taken as part of some sort of prank, and Kaia told her parents she was playing a game of cops and robbers. The documents say neither parent knew the photo existed until they were contacted. After the initial call was allegedly made, Kayalar was deported back to Germany, where authorities say he continued to harass Crawford and Gerber. Kayalar has not yet been arrested. If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison.

Crawford's spokeswoman Annett Wolf issued a statement, saying, "Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford intend to pursue any and all available legal action against anyone who aids the perpetrator in the distribution or sale of the photograph of their daughter." 

The couple have two children -- Kaia and 10-year-old Presley.

Cindy Crawford and her family