Kean Wong:
Brazilian football player, Ronaldo made his first public appearance since the scandal broke involving transvestites. He says the episode was the "worst decision in his personal life." Police are considering charging one of the transvestites with extortion.

One look at Ronaldo's sea side home, and it's clear the Brazilian striker
has done very well from football. But ruining his golden image took just one night and three transvestites.

[Ronaldo, Football Player]:
"This was the worst decision of my personal life, it took on a very
big dimension and had worldwide repercussion. It will stain my personal life
for ever."

This is one of the people causing Ronaldo so much trouble. After a fight with his girlfriend, the football star met three call girls at a motel, only to discover those girls were actually men.

[Ronaldo, Football Player]:
"I've done something really stupid in my personal life, we are all subject to making mistakes and I made a mistake in looking for this. When I saw that they were transvestites and I tried to stop there and go home, it was then that the extortion started."

After nearly a week in hiding, Ronaldo told Brazilian television he didn't
have sex with any of the prostitutes, or use drugs.

But police are considering whether to charge one of the transvestites with
extortion after Ronaldo was asked for money to keep the story quiet.

Ronaldo is off football as a knee injury heals - it remains to be seen if
his public image can also recover.