Latest news with #Jean-BaptisteBladier
Metro
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
British man who 'married girl, 9, at Disneyland Paris' is convicted paedophile
A British man has been charged in connection with organising a 'mock wedding' of a nine-year-old girl in Disneyland Paris. The man, 39, who is reportedly a convicted sexual offender and wanted in the UK, played the groom in the fake ceremony held on Saturday. The unnamed man, as well as three others, was arrested after a guest playing the father of the groom phoned the police. The guest, one of 100 hired extras, claimed that he was paid €12,000 (£10,000) and only realised the age of the 'bride' at the last minute. French prosecutors charged the unnamed British man yesterday with several counts of fraud, abuse of trust, money laundering and identity theft. The girl, a Ukrainian national, arrived in France with her 41-year-old mother two days before the phoney wedding. Organisers placed a call-out for 200 adults and 100 children aged between five and 15 to take part in the event, French network BFMTV reports. The advert said the event was 'confidential', only specifying that it was a wedding. About 100 extras arrived at 5am to see the amusement park decked with white chairs, a wedding cake and a band. Organisers reportedly used fake documents to book the park outside of opening hours for €130,000 (£111,000). The ceremony was to be privately filmed, and organisers also allegedly hired 'Latvian nationals 'to ensure the smooth running of the event'. According to Le Parisien, the 'scared and confused' girl wore a wedding dress and 12cm high heels 'taped to her feet'. The 'groom' had been 'professionally made up' to make his face unrecognisable, prosecutors added. Disneyland staff shut down the event at 6am, with a witness telling BFMTV: 'I saw a child dressed in white, I saw curly hair and a woman lifting her in her arms. 'I was shocked, I burst into tears because I realised when I saw the child, it was atrocious.' The girl showed no signs of physical or sexual abuse. Four people were arrested, 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 British man and the Latvian woman appeared in front of a judge yesterday. As of today, only the man is being held by police. The woman remains a witness in the investigation. More Trending Meaux prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier said the man was 'reportedly convicted in the past, including for offences of a sexual nature against minors'. Bladier added: '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.' Disneyland Paris has been approached for comment. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Sci-fi series savagely branded 'soulless' by critics – but fans feel differently MORE: Two arrested after masked gunmen killed bride at wedding MORE: Brit arrested over £110,000 'fake wedding involving child bride' at Disneyland
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bizarre social media stunt: British man arrested over Disneyland ‘wedding' with 9-year-old Ukrainian girl; guests were hired
Representative image (X@franceinfo) French prosecutors on Tuesday charged a British man with crimes including money laundering and identity theft, following his alleged involvement in a disturbing event at Disneyland Paris, where he reportedly staged a fake wedding ceremony, acting as the groom to a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl. Prosecutors stated that the 39-year-old man, whose name has not been disclosed, is a convicted sex offender and is currently wanted by authorities in the UK. He allegedly staged it for some sick social media stunt. According to Meaux prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the British citizen is currently wanted in the UK for failing to meet the requirements of the country's sex offenders register. He was taken into custody early Saturday morning after police were called to the theme park by a 'guest' who said that the man had hired him to portray the bride's father in the staged ceremony, reported BBC. The man said he had been paid €12,000 to play the role and that he only realised at the last minute that the "bride" was a child, according to a statement by Meaux prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier. The New York Post reported that the venue had been privately booked for the event, at an estimated cost of $150,000, but Disneyland Paris staff intervened and halted the ceremony after realizing the 'bride' was a 9-year old girl. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 90s Icon: A Look at Her Today I Am Famous Undo Authorities said the British man was arrested along with three others: a 24-year-old Latvian woman pretending to be the bride's sister, the 9-year-old girl's 41-year-old mother, and a 55-year-old Latvian man who had been brought in to take part in the ceremony. 'We all thought we were going to attend a wedding … Everyone was stunned, no one expected it,' one of the hired extras told. The guests who were hired were reportedly told they were being paid to participate in an upscale wedding rehearsal. The 'scared and confused' little girl was spotted wearing a wedding dress and 5-inch heels 'taped to her feet' when she showed up to the park, Le Parisien reported. The statement put out by authorities also noted that the Ukrainian girl, who had arrived in France two days prior, had not been subjected to physical or sexual abuse and was not "forced to act" as the bride. 'The investigations, including the medical examination of the minor, a Ukrainian national, showed that she had not been subjected to any violence or coercive acts,' the prosecutor's office said. Approximately 100 French extras were brought in to participate in the staged ceremony, which was planned to be filmed privately. The British man reportedly rented Disneyland Paris for several hours to play the groom. Preliminary findings said he had allegedly been "made-up professionally so that his face appeared totally different from his own," according to the prosecutor, reported BBC.
ITV News
16 hours ago
- ITV News
British man charged for Disneyland 'mock wedding' to nine-year-old girl is a wanted paedophile
A British man who has been charged for organising a "mock wedding" in Disneyland Paris involving a nine-year-old girl is a wanted sex offender, French prosecutors have said. The young girl was due to play the role of the bride in the reportedly "fictional wedding", which was meant to be recorded in a private capacity. Police were called to the theme park on Saturday by a 55-year-old "wedding guest" who later claimed he was hired to play the father of the bride. A statement released by a prosecutor in the case, 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 39-year-old British man, who reportedly played the "groom" in the fake ceremony, faces several counts of fraud, abuse of trust, money laundering and identity theft after his arrest at the entertainment resort. Mr Bladier said on Tuesday that after making contact with the British authorities, they have identified the British suspect as a convicted sexual offender who is wanted in the UK. Mr Bladier wrote that the suspect "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." He added that the "groom" had allegedly been "made-up professionally so that his face appeared totally different from his own." Prosecutors claim that the nine-year-old girl is a Ukrainian national, who had arrived in France two days before the mock ceremony, with her 41-year-old mother. Four people in total were arrested on Saturday, the British "groom", the young 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 24-year-old Latvian woman currently remains a witness in the investigation. Disneyland Paris was allegedly "deceived" after the identity of a Latvian man and fake identification documents were used to secure the private event at the park, at the cost of around £115,000 according to reports. Prosecutors add that about a hundred people were hired as extras and falsely present to Disneyland as wedding guests. Disneyland Paris has been approached for comments.
New York Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
British man charged over Disneyland ‘wedding' with 9-year-old girl is a known pedophile wanted in UK: authorities
A British man arrested for allegedly trying to marry a 9-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris for a sick social media stunt is a known pedophile wanted by UK authorities, prosecutors said. The 39-year-old man — who was slapped with a slew of charges Tuesday over what may have been a sick social media stunt — has previously been convicted of child sex offenses in the UK, Agence France-Presse reported. The British national, whose identity is being withheld due to legal reasons, is currently 'wanted in his country for failing to comply with the obligations of the British sex offenders register,' Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the Meaux prosecutor, said. 5 Disneyland Paris was used for a fake wedding between a 9-year-old girl and an adult man. BFM TV Details of his rap sheet emerged after authorities nabbed him for allegedly posing as the 'groom' during the wedding ceremony at the popular amusement park on Saturday. Authorities said the park had been booked out for the wedding — at a reported cost of $150,000 — but concerned Disneyland employees quickly pulled the pin when they realized the 'bride' was a 9-year-old Ukrainian girl. The 'scared and confused' little girl was spotted wearing a wedding dress and 5-inch heels 'taped to her feet' when she showed up to the park, Le Parisien reported. Authorities later believed the wedding was a stunt being filmed for social media. 5 A string quartet and hundreds of extras were hired for the vile stunt. BFM TV 5 The extras had no idea they had been hired for a sick stunt. BFM TV The British 'groom' was arrested alongside a 24-year-old Latvian woman posing as the bride's sister, the little girl's 41-year-old mom and a 55-year-old Latvian man who was recruited to be involved in the ceremony, authorities said. The fake groom and his co-conspirators had allegedly blasted out an online ad in the lead up to recruit wedding guests to take part in the stunt — including 200 adults and 100 children between the ages 5 and 15. The hired guests were allegedly told they were being paid to take part in a high-end wedding rehearsal. 'We all thought we were going to attend a wedding … Everyone was stunned, no one expected it,' one of the hired extras told the French outlet. 5 The park was hired out before it had opened to the public on Saturday. BFM TV 5 Disneyland Paris has been praised for quickly alerting police upon realizing the bride was a child. Prosecutors said the Ukrainian child, who had only just arrived in France prior to the saga, wasn't subjected to any violence as a result of the twisted ordeal. 'The investigations, including the medical examination of the minor, a Ukrainian national, showed that she had not been subjected to any violence or coercive acts,' the prosecutor's office said. Disneyland Paris acknowledged they accepted payment for the event but 'immediately cancelled' it when the 'identification of significant irregularities' came to light. The British man, who remains in custody, has been charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft.
Daily Record
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
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. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 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.
