Football rumor news: Franck Ribery Prostitution Scandal Leads To Charges Against Soccer Star

Franck Ribery Prostitution Scandal Leads To Charges Against Soccer Star

PIERRE-ANTOINE SOUCHARD and SAMUEL PETREQUIN | 07/20/10 04:05 PM

PARIS — A French judge issued preliminary charges Tuesday against soccer stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema for soliciting an underage prostitute – the latest setback for a national team that returned from the World Cup in disgrace and disarray.

Ribery and Benzema were questioned Tuesday as part of a probe into a suspected network of prostitutes that operated out of a nightclub on Paris' glitzy Champs-Elysees, a judicial official told The Associated Press. She was not authorized to be publicly named, according to office policy.

The scandal, which broke before the World Cup began June 11 and has been front-page news in France, includes allegations by a self-described escort girl who says Ribery flew her to visit him as a birthday present to himself when she was still under 18. Ribery is married with two children.

Real Madrid striker Benzema and Bayern Munich forward Ribery could face up to three years in prison and a euro45,000 ($60,000) fine if convicted of paying to have sex with a minor. They are among the most famous soccer players in France.

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Related news

Franck Ribery Admits To Child Prostitute Sex: Report

First Posted: 04-21-10 03:57 PM   |   Updated: 06-21-10 05:12 AM

French soccer star Franck Ribery admitted to having sex with a 17-year-old prostitute, sources tell the Guardian. Ribery, who has been called "the jewel of French football" by none other than soccer legend (and infamous World Cup headbutter) Zinedine Zidane, claims that he did not know the teenager was underaged when they slept together.
The 27-year-old soccer player has not been charged with a crime, but purchasing sex from anyone under 18 is illegal in France. Ribery's famous teammate is also in the middle of the scandal.
The French prostitution investigation marks the second major scandal to rock international soccer in recent months. In England, the World Cup team's soccer captain relinquished his title after he was reported to have carried on a torrid affair with a teammate's ex-partner.


Source: Huffington Post

Franck Ribery, French Soccer Star, Questioned In Child Prostitution Probe

First Posted: 04-19-10 10:09 AM   |   Updated: 06-19-10 05:12 AM

France's international soccer team has become mired in scandal after two of its most famous players were called in for questioning by police investigating allegations of child prostitution.

Franck Ribery and Sidney Govou were questioned in connection with an investigation into a Paris nightclub that may have employed underage girls.

"He was questioned as a witness - for us the matter stops there," said Ribery's lawyer, Sophie Bottai.
However, Sky News reports that another unnamed player has admitted sleeping with a girl under the age of 18, but claims he did not know her age at the time.

The allegations center on a nightclub in Paris's exclusive Champs-Elysees district, where prostitutes were reportedly frequented by French soccer stars.

The Daily Telegraph writes that many French players feel free to visit prostitutes due to France's privacy laws, which prevent their personal lives being revealed.

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