Former US Secret Service agent John McGeorge, 53, of Woodbridge, Virginia, is waiting to be sent to Baghdad as a munitions analyst.

UN officials admitted they did not make any background checks that would have revealed he runs a pansexual sadomasochistic group that offers bondage and discipline, fetishism and cross-dressing.

He helped set up the Leather Leadership Conference which produces training sessions for current and potential leaders of the fetish community, according to its website.

Mr McGeorge is also president of the Virginia security firm Public Safety Group after serving for several years as a Marines munitions technician and weapons expert for the Secret Service. But he does not possess a degree in one of the specialised fields, such as biochemistry, bacteriology or chemical engineering, that the UN says it seeks in its inspectors.

Revelations of his lifestyle filled American newspapers today, where he was quickly dubbed a "Saddamasochist."The UN defended the appointment, saying Mr McGeorge was one of a group of inspectors recommended by the US Government.

"He is someone who has expertise in warheads and munitions, and that's what's important," said a spokesman for the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission.

"Nobody's suggested that he's done anything illegal, have they? The UN doesn't check into people's personal lives."

Mr McGeorge said he had always been honest about what he did, and it had never stopped him from getting a job.

"I am not ashamed of who I am - not one bit," he told the Washington Post.