A British national has been arrested following an alleged attempt to conduct a sham marriage ceremony with a nine-year-old Ukrainian child at Disneyland Paris.
The elaborate event, which the man, 22, claimed was intended for social media content, involved approximately 100 participants recruited through online advertisements.
The organisers had spent €130,000 (£111,000) to hire the theme park outside public hours.
French authorities arrested four individuals after Disney employees spotted the young girl dressed in wedding attire and immediately contacted police.
The sham wedding had been planned to take place at Disneyland Paris
PAThe detainees included the British man, the child's 41-year-old Ukrainian mother, and two Latvian nationals aged 55 and 24.
The ceremony was scheduled at dawn in front of the theme park's iconic Sleeping Beauty castle, located 20 miles east of Paris.
Organisers had told Disney they were hosting an authentic wedding celebration.
Recruitment advertisements sought 200 adults and 100 children between the ages of five and 15 to act as wedding guests for what was described as a "rehearsal".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Video footage showed approximately 100 seated attendees watching a female violin trio perform whilst awaiting the ceremony's start.
Alexandre Verney, assistant prosecutor for the Seine-et-Marne département, confirmed the arrests stating: "Four people were arrested and questioned: the groom, who was believed to be the organiser of the event and is presumed to be British and aged 22; the mother of the child, a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman; and two Latvian nationals aged 55 and 24.
"It wasn't a wedding but a staged wedding that was to be filmed with a hundred extras. They privatised Disneyland, claiming that it was a real marriage."
Following medical examinations that revealed no signs of mistreatment, the child's mother and the older Latvian suspect were released.
The organisers had spent €130,000 (£111,000) to hire the theme park outside public hours
GETTY
The British man and the younger Latvian remain in custody, facing potential charges of money laundering and fraud.
Participants expressed shock upon realising the bride's age.
One witness told Le Parisien: "We were not told at any time that it was about a film shoot. We all thought we were going to be part of a wedding. Everyone was stunned. No one expected this."
Yeleen, an extra who attended with her daughter, said: "I saw a little girl dressed in white. I saw her hair prepared with curls and a lady picking her up in her arms. At that moment, I was shocked. I realised when I saw the child. It was atrocious."
Most Read
