Disney character accused of fondling

[Jodi1980]

(CNN) -- A Walt Disney World employee dressed as the character Tigger at the Orlando, Florida, theme park was arrested Friday on charges of molesting a minor and committing battery against her mother while the three posed for a photo, according to a police affidavit.

Michael Chartrand, 36, was booked on $2,500 bond, according to a spokesman for the Orange County Jail.

Chartrand is accused of fondling the breasts of a woman and her 13-year-old daughter as he stood between them posing for a picture at Walt Disney World's Toontown February 21, according to an affidavit.

Neither reacted at the time, but the girl later told her parents she had been fondled, and eight days later the family filed a report with the Orange County Sheriff.

During an interview with police, Chartrand said he may have inadvertently touched the girl's breast, and added that he suffers from dyslexia, which impaired his memory.

According to a spokeswoman for Disney, Chartrand has been suspended without pay pending an investigation.

 

[disneyberry]

<font face="times" size="+0">i was just logging on to either post this news or see if anyone had started a thread on it yet.

i've always wondered what kind of people are inside the Disney character costumes. now we know.

i mean, Tigger has always been a flirt. but this?

here's a link to the Orlando Sentinel article with mug shot:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...40204,1,2893875.story?coll=orl-home-headlines
i've pasted the text below.

'Tigger' arrested on molestation charges
Costumed character at Disney World charged with fondling girl, mother.
By Anthony Colarossi | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted April 2, 2004, 4:49 PM EST

Orange County Sheriff's Office investigators have arrested a Walt Disney World employee who worked as the character "Tigger" and charged him with molesting a 13-year-old girl and her mother while posing with them for pictures in February.

Michael Chartrand, 36, was charged with one count of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child between 12 and 15 years old and one count of simple battery.

He was booked into the Orange County Jail today on a $2,500 bond.

A Disney spokeswoman said Chartrand has been suspended without pay.

The sheriff's office received a complaint that a costumed character at Disney World had touched a girl and her mother inappropriately while their pictures were being taken with the character 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.

"As the photo was being taken, [the victim] claims that Tigger moved his right hand up to her right breast and started massaging it several times," the incident report states. [The victim] became very embarrassed and ashamed of the incident and claims that she did not say anything to her mother until they left the park."

Later, the girl learned that the costumed character had done the same thing to her mother with his left hand, the report says.

In a charging affadavit filed in court, police wrote that Chartrand told them he had trouble remembering things, but was "very sorry for everything that had occurred," and hoped the victim would forgive him for what he had done.

The girl and her father reported the incident on Feb. 29.

</font>

 

[Fantasmic303]

I was definitely pinched by Dopey back in October, with his arm around my waist. You can completely tell in the picture of him, myself, my sister, and Snow White. I was a little surprised by it when it happened, and at first thought it was an accidental poke and not a pinch, but make no mistake -- it was a pinch.


With that being said, I didn't think much of it afterwards (except for relaying what I thought was a funny story to my family back home and captioning the photo in my album), but I guess it wouldn't surprise me if someone else was more uncomfortable about it. *shrugs*

 

[DaisyDebbie]

Why did it take them 8 days to file? And if he did the same to the Mother, how come she didn't get upset?

 

[pumba]

how much of a cheap thrill did any of these characters get out of this....couldnt' of been very much.......

 

[Bambi5826]

Why did it take them 8 days to file? And if he did the same to the Mother, how come she didn't get upset?

I was thinking the exact same thing. It makes no sense at all. didn't whoever was taking the picture see this happen? I wonder if they have a pic that shows.....

 

[Pop Daddy]

if there women in them costumes, let them grope me

 

[disykat]

This sounds very familiar - remember the thread a while back?

 

[DocRafiki]

I'll believe it when & if they find him guilty.

What sucks is that they're going to inevitably make some new rules because of this. I LIKE flirting with the characters. It's part of the fun. I bet that will be toned down. Pretty soon you won't even get to touch them.

 

[disneyberry]

<font face="times" size="+0">speaking of Tigger... and fondling...

i just remembered about one time DBF and i were at Crystal Palace a few years ago, and this kid was soooo excited to see Tigger.

when he finally got to go up and hug Tigger, he hugged Tigger's legs very tightly, and kept rubbing his face against Tigger's crotch! (the little boy was just right height to reach that area... horrible!)

i bet Tigger was incredibly uncomfortable with THAT encounter! DBF and i couldn't believe what we were seeing!</font>

 

[missyc]

My 14yr old niece was annoying everyone in the family because she was TOO into posing with the characters! She loved the attention and even commented...A LOT....about the ones that gave the most or longest hugs. She was convinced that whoever was in Max's costume must have been a teenage boy that liked her because he wouldn't let her go! DUH...isn't that part of the act! LOL. Her 10yr old cousin made fun of her the rest of the trip about who was REALLY in those costumes!!
A dirty old man? A little old lady? A girl? An ugly guy?
LOL

I honestly doubt if the claim in the paper is true. It's not up to me to decide. But they ARE in big bulky costumes and I can see how they could have been touched, accidently. But MOLESTED?
Have any of you ever been at those character meetings? It's not like no one was around.

If any PARENT was standing there with their daughter and was groped with 1 hand, while the other hand was on their daughter.....I'm SURE there would be quit a sceen. Right there. Not 8 days later.

If he did it he deserves to be fired and everything else he gets. But if he DIDN'T do it, and these people just took things too far, are ultra paranoid, or are seeing an opportunity for some of that "Disney Magic" in their own pockets then they have just ruined a 36 year old man.

I know of too many true child molesters who have gotten away with much more.

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

I'm the type to pooh-pooh (sorry REALLY bad pun) this type of thing too...

however,

there was an affidavit with him admitting to having a friend take photos while he did this to OTHER people. I believe it said that the police have an envelope full of photos that he'd been collecting.

I don't believe all the stuffed characters have bad intentions when they hug or pinch a bottom, but this guy certainly seems to have had some less-than-stellar ideas about good touch/bad touch. Or so it seems from what I've read so far.

 

[DocRafiki]

Originally posted by HauntedMansionGeek
there was an affidavit with him admitting to having a friend take photos while he did this to OTHER people. I believe it said that the police have an envelope full of photos that he'd been collecting.

 

[missyc]

Yikes!
A pervert is a pervert and deserves what he gets...once your sure it's true.
I would expect some stupid teenagers (or not too much older) to pull something like that (taking pic's), you know-they always think stuff like that's just hilarious, but not a grown man. Either way...no matter the age...it's not ok if it was done on purpose.
Too bad one of them didn't turn around and punch him in the face. Or give him a good "knee"
LOL
Explain that one to the little kids!
Of all the "talks" I've had w/my kids, I think I hate the ones that warn of the sick pervs out there the most.

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

I've been trying to access the OrlandoSentinel site all day so I could re-read what I mentioned above.......

so far, I can't get into the site at all. The affidavit is there with the article though, just to the right of the article. It's pretty easy to find.

 

[momof2inPA]

Remember a couple months ago, some lady posted on the site that Chip or Dale felt her inappropriately? Everyone jumped down her throat. Maybe she was right. Do you think there could be a ring of groping characters at Disney? Just kidding, but I don't think the Tigger guy would be able to fit in the Chip n Dale costume. Will look for the thread and see if I can link it.

 

[momof2inPA]

Here's the link to the Chip n Dale thread:

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=484121&highlight=+experience++with++chip+"police"

 

[missyc]

As much as we all like to think that everyone at WDW is there for the good wholesome family fun....remember-pedophiles and pervs in general- thrive in situations like that. It's what they do. What they look for. Opportunity.

On the other hand...my 1st reaction was "give me a break!" (big costumes...can't see...too many people around...etc)

They could also be doing stuff like that trying to be "innocently" funny. "oops!, sorry. Guess I couldn't tell where my hands were!" You know, thinking it's all a mistake. But gives them enough of a laugh to pass the day.

Has there ever been someone who said it happened to a child? (I know the one w/ Tigger now is 13.)

 

[HappyMommy2]

There was a show on TV a while ago about people with a fetish for "fur" costumes--I just caught a few minutes of it but it was pretty shocking to me! I had no idea so many people specifically "enjoyed" acting "frisky" while wearing a furry costume!

I think 99.9% of the playfulness of the characters at WDW is completely innocent, but some of the details of this particular accusation lead me to think that possibly this guy WAS getting an inapporpriate thrill out of his job that day. Yuck. On the other hand, I can't imagine that he will be convicted unless evidence shows up in a photo/surveillance video, or they can get some witnesses--like someone else said, there is generally quite a crowd at those character meetings and if "molestation" had actually happened you'd think SOMEONE would have seen it!

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

I was finally able to get back into the Orlando Sentinel website.

Here is a screen shot of the affidavit I was talking about. Momof2inPA mentioned a "ring" of people doing this while dressed in character. While I doubt that's the case, from the sounds of what I read in his "confession" it's possible he DID dress as other characters. Maybe this guy was Chip/Dale and maybe that other claim is real!
If so, I feel awful, because I thought she was just being dramatic.....

Anyhoo, here's the important part of that affidavit. The whole thing is available at the O.S. website.
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