The British man dubbed the “Disneyland groom,” who was apprehended for reportedly attempting to wed a nine-year-old girl, is a known child offender evading UK legal authorities, as stated by French prosecutors.
The 39-year-old faced charges this Tuesday following the disturbing wedding ritual conducted before 100 shocked attendees at the famed Sleeping Beauty castle.
Disney staff promptly alerted the authorities after noticing the British individual with the young Ukrainian girl, dressed in a bridal gown and four-inch heels taped to her feet.
There were also around 100 guests present as they turned up for a “pretend wedding ceremony”.
Now, prosecutors in Meaux, east of Paris, have confirmed the man was known in the UK “for sexual offences against minors”.
A statement reads: “He is registered on the British sex offenders register and is currently wanted at the national level by the judicial authorities of his country of origin, for failing to comply with the obligations arising from said registration.”
The man is described as the “mastermind” of the sick wedding stunt and has reportedly been charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft.
Despite his background, Disneyland management allowed him to privatise part of the Disneyland site at Marne-la-Vallée at a cost of around £111,000.
It then emerged that the “bride” was a nine-year-old girl – something that Disneyland employees only realised on the day, according to prosecutors.
In addition to the 39-year-old, three other people were arrested – the child’s mum, a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman, a 24-year-old Latvian woman who played the role of the bride’s sister, and a 55-year-old Latvian man who also took part in the sick “ceremony”.
The entire event was due to be broadcast live on social media, according to prosecutors, with “extras” said to have been recruited online to play family members.
Despite this, organisers asked Disneyland to keep the whole event “confidential”.
Senior management now claims to have been “deceived,” with a Meaux prosecuting spokesman saying: “The organiser assumed the identity of a Latvian national and used false documents to secure the conclusion of the contract for the privatization of the park.”
The lifelike ceremony – complete with white chairs, a giant cake, musicians and the castle – was reportedly attended by the girl’s family and a large crowd at dawn on Sunday.
A Disneyland Paris source said that the event was “soon shut down” and that guests were stopped from entering the premises.
A medical examination of the young girl “bride” found that she had not suffered any violence.
A source who was recruited to act as a “wedding guest” said: “We all thought we were going to attend a wedding.
“Everyone was stunned when we realised what was really going on. Disneyland acted extremely professionally – they cancelled everything as soon as they realised the bride was a child.
“It was all very shocking.”
A video released by French network BFM TV shows around 100 guests seated during the £111,000 ceremony in front of the iconic Sleeping Beauty castle.
In the footage, a flower-covered stage, lavish décor, a grand cake and musicians can be seen.
But what guests witnessed next would leave them horrified – appearing on stage as the “bride” was a nine-year-old girl.
The event cost the organisers $130,000 (£111,000), BFM reports.
