Model busted for lying about age

LONDON, July 5 (UPI) -- An aging British model who lied about her age on a passport to get a job in Hollywood barely avoided prison, officials said.

Saskia Porter, 36, of London, changed the date on her birth certificate from 1971 to 1979 in an attempt to get a replacement passport with a younger age, the Daily Telegraph reported.

"She said she had applied for the passport because she had the opportunity for a modeling job in the U.S. and the prospect of presenting a documentary which required an individual younger than she was," prosecutor Peter Zinner said.

Porter was arrested after authorities learned she lied on official documents, officials said.

Zinner said the model's actions were "wholly motivated by a desire to take up employment."

She admitted to lying to get a passport and possessing false identity documents, the report said.

Documents indicate Porter received a nine-month jail sentence that was suspended for a year and was required to pay about $700 in court fees.