HONG KONG - THE Hong Kong starlet at the centre of a sex photos scandal was set to face the press on Monday, as the media storm over the explicit images continues to make waves in the celebrity-obsessed city.

Pop star Gillian Chung, who is one of several leading Canto-pop and film stars whose photos in compromising positions have been plastered across the Internet, was set to meet her fans and the media at an event in the city.

The twists and turns of the scandal have dominated headlines in the southern Chinese territory for several weeks, and have even drawn protests and comment from the city's new Catholic bishop.

The photos first started appearing several weeks ago on the Internet, and were initially dismissed as hoaxes.

They feature singer-actor Edison Chen with a string of Hong Kong starlets including Chung, star of pop duo Twins, actress Cecilia Cheung, and former actress Bobo Chan.

Chen had been romantically linked to all three in the past.

Media reports say the source of the photos was Chen's computer, and the images were copied when he sent it in for repairs.

Last week, Chen issued a statement on video website YouTube, in which he apologised to 'anyone who has been affected by this strange, strange ordeal.'

'The lives of many innocent people have been affected by this malicious and criminal conduct,' he added.

The police have made several arrests linked to the case, but have faced criticism that they have been over-zealous.

Hundreds of Internet users marched on Sunday to protest the force's handling of the case.

John Tong, the city's newly-appointed coadjutor bishop, said people should stop passing on the pictures, according to the South China Morning Post.

'It is also biblical teaching that we should speak no evil, see no evil and hear no evil. It is important that we should keep our mind decent and, perhaps needless to say, we should not post or circulate pictures,' he said, when asked about the scandal.

Hong Kong's media competes tirelessly to break scoops about the city's film and pop stars, whose popularity often extends across Asia.