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A married New York congressman who sent sexually explicit photographs of himself to women he met through social networks said he was entering professional treatment and requested a leave of absence from Congress.

An aide for Anthony Weiner made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday shortly after several Democratic party leaders demanded he resign for exchanging messages and photos ranging from sexually suggestive to explicit with several women online.

"This sordid affair has become an unacceptable distraction for Representative Weiner, his family, his constituents and the House," Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, said in a written statement calling for the 46-year-old married lawmaker to step down.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Weiner "has the love of his family, the confidence of his constituents and the recognition that he needs help. I urge Congressman Weiner to seek that help without the pressures of being a member of Congress".

Aides said later that Pelosi had been aware of Weiner's plan to enter treatment when she issued her statement, and her call for his resignation had not changed because of it.

The scandal has dominated the news and distracted attention from efforts by President Barack Obama's Democrats to slam Republicans for proposing deep cuts to Medicare, a popular healthcare program for the elderly.

Also joining in calls for Weiner to quit was New York Democratic Representative Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and a member of the party's leadership.

The developments occurred one day after Weiner acknowledged he had exchanged online messages with a 17-year-old girl in the state of Delaware. He said nothing improper had passed between the two of them.

Nor was there even an allegation that Weiner had a physical relationship with any of the women with whom he maintained virtual relationships. That made his case a departure from the norm, a sex scandal without sex, a phenomenon of the age of Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

Todd Balazovic is a reporter for the Metro Section of China Daily. Born in Mineapolis Minnesota in the US, he graduated from Central Michigan University and has worked for the China Daily for one year.