I've been doing my homework and investigating that "grey area" and this is what I found:

So you go to a photographer and he/she shots pictures of you and there is no contract/model release involved. Congratulations because you just gave him/her the copyright of your pictures and now they can do whatever they want with them.

So, is the photographer now entitled to use your image to advertise a product? Throw it up on a billboard and slap it on the side of a tube of toothpaste without your consent?

In the UK technically: yes (in other countries: no).





BUT

... a consideration in doing so may be that photographs in the UK are subject to libel law, so for example, if you (the model) didn't wish to be seen to endorse said toothpaste, and for whatever reason, feel your reputation has been damaged by being seen to do so  you could sue the photographer and he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Again: if the usage of the image portrays you (the model) in a negative manner (as perceived by you) the photographer may find himself/herself fighting a compensation claim. Model releases help photographers to avoid this situation.

Conclusion:

 In the UK the model has no *commercial* claim to an image whatsoever, but can only approach the photographer on grounds of libel. Of course than would involve getting a lawyer and spending quite some money in order to sue the photographer.

Best thing is to just get a bloody model release (or contract) giving you copyright to your images  next time you get some pictures and avoid this mess all together.

You don't necessarily have to have a written document for it to be a legally binding contract. 
There is a contact between you and him as you payed him and that constitutes  'consideration' under the law of contract. 

I looked up the guy in purpleport an there he is. He has 62 references from girls and is recommended in ALL of them so in this site I will be difficult to do anything about it. And to leave a review in pp I think there has be a shoot book otherwise I don't think it let you. I'm saying because I've used pp myself not for escort photos but general tfp shoots. I suggest you contact the 62 girls who left him a good reference and tell them about the profit he makes selling his work. If they are unaware of it then youl have enough support to claim whatever you have to claim. A least if only a few of them unite with you then you can all do something about it. But contacting the 62 of them may be time consuming. You can try contacting some of them first an tell them that you found what he doe with the art works.

Does he know that you wanted the photos for escorting?

I looked up the guy in purpleport an there he is. He has 62 references from girls and is recommended in ALL of them so in this site I will be difficult to do anything about it. And to leave a review in pp I think there has be a shoot book otherwise I don't think it let you. I'm saying because I've used pp myself not for escort photos but general tfp shoots. I suggest you contact the 62 girls who left him a good reference and tell them about the profit he makes selling his work. If they are unaware of it then youl have enough support to claim whatever you have to claim. A least if only a few of them unite with you then you can all do something about it. But contacting the 62 of them may be time consuming. You can try contacting some of them first an tell them that you found what he doe with the art works.

Does he know that you wanted the photos for escorting?

I'm not going to contact the girls because a) I don't have the time nor the energy and b) I don't want him to retaliate (he has nude pictures of me). Did the 62 girls signed him releases? Most probably not (he told me he doesn't sign model releases). Do they know this guy is selling fine arts prints of them? I don't know. Do they care? I don't know either. But pp is a modelling website, and these are very young girls trying to break into the modelling world, so they want promotion and the more "exposure" the better for them. Plus they are exchaging their time for professional pictures, meaning: there's no money involved. It's a win-win situation for the starting model (who needs professional pictures) and the photographer who's trying to build his portfolio. It's when you shoot sex workers and charge them for the session that things get "tricky". Unlike the newbie fashion model I don't want the added exposure (it can ruin my life, specially if you have another job like nurse, teacher etc...). I'm also paying for his services, so i expect a degree of professionalism. Meaning: If I get promised X and receive Y I'm going to be angry.

Anyway..lesson learned. I'm moving on.

So you go to a photographer and he/she shots pictures of you and there is no contract/model release involved. Congratulations because you just gave him/her the copyright of your pictures and now they can do whatever they want with them.

So, is the photographer now entitled to use your image to advertise a product? Throw it up on a billboard and slap it on the side of a tube of toothpaste without your consent?

In the UK technically: yes (in other countries: no).

BUT

... a consideration in doing so may be that photographs in the UK are subject to libel law, so for example, if you (the model) didn't wish to be seen to endorse said toothpaste, and for whatever reason, feel your reputation has been damaged by being seen to do so  you could sue the photographer and he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Again: if the usage of the image portrays you (the model) in a negative manner (as perceived by you) the photographer may find himself/herself fighting a compensation claim. Model releases help photographers to avoid this situation.

Conclusion:

 In the UK the model has no *commercial* claim to an image whatsoever, but can only approach the photographer on grounds of libel. Of course than would involve getting a lawyer and spending quite some money in order to sue the photographer.

Best thing is to just get a bloody model release (or contract) giving you copyright to your images  next time you get some pictures and avoid this mess all together.

The model release doesn't give any model the copyright to the pics. The photographer took the pics, he owns them, full stop. The model release form doesn't end his ownership of his images.

Model release forms are most usually used when a company is employing you (rather than you employing the photographer) to use your image for a specific thing - ie: a tampon ad that will run for 6 months on train billboards. You were employed by that co and you signed the model release to allow them to use your image for that amount of time. If the ads are still running after that, or if that ad is seen ANYWHERE apart from on the train billboards, you have the right to sue.

I would suggest approaching it from the perspective that you paid for a service which was not delivered. You can take him to small claims court for that. In his defence he would either be obliged to refund your payment or hand over the photos you paid for and ownership (as this would reopen the contract discussion you may be able to renegotiate) maybe call a solicitor. Many offer free consultations

Exactly, you do have a contract with him (which need not be in writing) and he failed do deliver so he should therefore  be in a breach of contract.