Of course, if there'd been a real series or modeling gigs, none of them or their families would have made a peep about it.

I am afraid you are correct Mr. Tanker. This scam goes back to before the Civil War. Before the camera was invented it was used to lure street girls in for auditions on the stage and dance halls.
I cannot imagine what the tryouts for dancers, both boys and girls were like in the time of the Old Testament or in todays ME boy dancers for the Muslims.
Wasn't it a friend of Woody Allen that lured a 13 year old girl to Woody's home for a "Test" and she was raped back a decade or so ? Woody was not there, he was in the Attic buggering his step daughter.
Last 20 years we have had a few serial killers that used the, come to my apartment for a model shot for victims and that program [What Would You Do] also had a set up with an actress and actors trying to get her to leave her friends to go with a stranger for professional pictures.
Such an old scam, changes as the technology changes but the same old song and dance.
So what do you think of the child talent contests and beauty pageants, lots of stage mothers that will turn a blind eye on things that may harm their kids?
Some people treat their kids like they were puppy's that needed to be raised as show dogs for the income.