24 Complaints Made Against Disney World 'Tigger'

[ProfGoofy]

From Associated Press:

Friday, April 09, 2004

ORLANDO, Fla._—_Authorities have received 24 more complaints in the week since a_Walt Disney World (search)_employee was charged with molesting a 13-year-old girl and her mother while dressed as the character_"Tigger." (search)

Thirteen of the cases have been deemed credible enough to be investigated, while the others are being reviewed, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

Michael Chartrand (search), 36, was arrested April 2 and charged with one count of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child between 12 and 15 and one count of simple battery. He was booked at the Orange County Jail on a $2,500 bond.

In that case the sheriff's office received a complaint that the costumed character had touched the girl and her mother inappropriately while their pictures were being taken Feb. 21.

According to an incident report, Chartrand fondled the breasts of the girl and the mother while posing for pictures at the Magic Kingdom's Toon Town.

The new reports make similar allegations. Erin Rivera, 21, said the Tigger character touched her breast while hugging her.

"I don't think it was a mistake," she said. "Everybody who goes through my photo album says, 'Tigger is groping you."'

Chartrand has been suspended without pay. Disney declined to comment on the latest allegations.

"It appears we have 24 folks that feel there may have been something inappropriate and that something happened to them," sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said. "It appears all of our complaints are focusing on Tigger."

 

[PKS44]

Without judging whether or not these new complaints have any merit or not, it will be important to know if these complaints were made before or after the publicity for the first known complaints....I am reminded of an incident some years ago when a claim was made that a syringe with needle was "found" inside a can of Pepsi...shortly after this claim was publicized there were literally hundreds--HUNDREDS of similar complaints...not one--including the original complaint-- turned out to be true...

Paul

 

[Chuck S]

Sounds like a lot of folks are trying to book a seat on the money train.

 

[Bob O]

I would agree with wdwsearcher.
Do some of these people believe only one person plays tigger in all of the theme parks/ rests???
As i investigate claims/crimes as part of my real job i have always found that alot of credibilty is lost when one doesnt make a claim/allegation's in a timely manner. If i felt i was grouped or my wife/children were grouped i would have reported it right away and when one doesnt do so but only comes out now due to the news repors it makes me wonder what the motives are.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Exactly Bob,

It is hard to believe there was 25 separate incidents and not one person even complained to Disney or the police at the time of the incident or even several days later.

 

[DisneyFanGuy]

Well, it's also possible that people assumed that contact was accidental until one incident was published. I know that my family has discussed that we will never look at the Tigger character in the parks the same. Truth or fiction, this is the last kind of publicity that Disney needs right now.

 

[DemoBri1]

Originally posted by DisneyFanGuy
Well, it's also possible that people assumed that contact was accidental until one incident was published. I know that my family has discussed that we will never look at the Tigger character in the parks the same. Truth or fiction, this is the last kind of publicity that Disney needs right now.

Oh come on!!! Now that we have some person playing Tigger allegedly groping someone, who mind you has been convicted of nothing, you're going to look at ALL Tigger characters differently? Does this mean you're going to shy away from all Pooh characters at the parks as well, since Pooh is always associated with Tigger? What about Eeyore and Piglet as well?

If these claims turn out to be true then the person responsible for them will be punished, but that doesn't mean that ALL Tigger's are going to come up and fondle you.

This is how things begin to escalate. You have to be able to distinguish between things such as this.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

I don't think it matters whether the allegations came after the first publicized case. Hopefully, people are truthful and motivated by the desire to protect others from the same fate.

It should be fairly easy to track whether or not it is the same Tigger who is being accused. (The accusers should be able to give dates, places and rough times - shortly after the park opened, etc.) I would imagine that this is absolutley part of the investigation -- and likely why 13 cases so far have been able to be confirmed. If it is the same Tigger, that's pretty suspect!

Vicitims do have lots of reasons not to come forward. A delay in coming forward does not make an accusation false. I think it's hard to judge what one would do in a specific situation, until you are in the situation. And I personally am reluctant to believe money is a motive until I hear details of pending lawsuits -- just reporting it does not mean someone is after money.

Regardless, the situation saddens me.

 

[mitros]

A number of the 13 incidents deemed "credible" by police were indeed by people who had suspected something was not "Kosher" about other incidents, and these folks are bringing in photos of what, at the time, seemed to them to be out of the ordinary goings on. The fact that someone came foward gave creedence to their suspiscions. And yes, I will agree that there are those who are just looking for a quick buck, but it doesn't mean they all are. Stay tuned.....

 

[madthemouse]

Look.... the line is long yet, distinguish. How does that line from the movie go, " show me the money!"

 

[ShadowWind]

Pretty soon they are going to need fastpass to keep the complaint line down.

Seriously though, I find it doubtful that this guy just started molesting one person. There are a lot of things that people don't report, because they are unsure and don't want to cause trouble. I believe there is probably some who actually feel as though this guy did fondle them, but were unsure of what to do about it at the time (or that it even happened). It's not that hard to collaborate the dates and times.

This will probably turn into a lawsuit at some point against Disney, but I think that while the guy is a scumbag, Disney shouldn't really be held responsible for something they was unaware was going on.

My question was didn't the handler (the CM that stands with the costumed character) notice such a thing?

ShadowWind

 

[ztbz]

Just bumping this up since Tigger was found Not Guilty

 

[eleanor]

What say now?