British man charged over 'mock wedding' with 9-year-old in Disneyland Paris
The 39-year-old faces multiple charges including fraud, money laundering, identity theft and abuse of trust.
A British man has been charged by French prosecutors after he organised a "mock wedding" in Disneyland Paris involving a nine-year-old girl in the role of the bride.
The 39-year-old, who reportedly acted as the "groom" during the fake ceremony, faces multiple charges including fraud, abuse of trust, money laundering and identity theft after his arrest at the entertainment resort in Marne-la-Vallee, France, on Saturday.
Police were alerted by a "guest" who claimed he was hired to play the father of the bride. A statement shared by the prosecutor of the tribunal in Meaux Jean-Baptiste Bladier said the man "explained he was paid 12,000 euros to play the role of the father of the bride and realised at the last minute that she was nine years old."
The child, a Ukranian national, had arrived in France with her 41-year-old mother two days before the mock ceremony, the prosecutor added.
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Four people were arrested in total on Saturday - including the British "groom", the girl's mother, a 24-year-old Latvian woman who played the sister of the bride, and the 55-year-old Latvian man hired to play the "father of the bride", the tribunal said.
Prosecutors say Disneyland Paris was 'deceived' into hosting the event after fake ID documents and the identity of the Latvian man were used to book the private ceremony. Around 100 hired extras were also falsely presented to the company as wedding guests.
The British man appeared before the tribunal of Meaux on Monday, after which he was charged.
French authorities confirmed on Tuesday they have contacted British police and revealed he is a convicted sex offender wanted in the UK.
Mr Bladier wrote in a statement: "(He) was reportedly convicted in the past, including for offences of a sexual nature against minors.
"He is, as such, listed in the British database of sexual offenders and is currently wanted nationally by the judicial authorities of his country of origin due to a breach of the requirements deriving from said order."
Mr Bladier said in a previous statement published on Sunday that the wedding ceremony was "fictional and meant to be recorded in a private capacity".
Preliminary findings also stated the "groom" had allegedly been "made-up professionally so that his face appeared totally different from his own", according to the prosecutor.
The 24-year-old Latvian woman currently remains a witness in the investigation, the prosecutor said.
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