Man Dressed As Tigger Allegedly Molests Girl, Mother At Disney World

NBC 4 ^ | April 2, 2004 | AP

[yonif]

LOS ANGELES -- A Walt Disney World employee who worked as the character "Tigger" was charged Friday with molesting a 13-year-old girl and her mother while posing with them for pictures.

Michael Chartrand, 36, was arrested 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.

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 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 report said. "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."

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

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

[Allegra]

This should come as no surprise:

Oh, the wonderful thing about Tiggers is,
Tiggers are wonderful chaps.
They're loaded with vim and vigor.
They love to leap in your lap.

Figures you would come up with that one so quickly. :)

How're ya doing?

[UnklGene]

'Udderly' ridiculous charges!

[bluefish]

Geeze, took 18 posts to come across relative reason. Thank you. I don't purport to know the specifics, as news articles never quite get things right. What bothers me is the degree to which Freepers react to things they read now. We used to be a much more critically thinking bunch.

[UncleHambone]

Not to be a Disney apologist, but there must be tons of fraudulent lawsuits against Disney all the time.

Here is a documented case:
http://www.snopes.com/disney/wdco/3lilpigs.htm

Here is a not-so-documented case:
A lady once tried to sue Disney World on the accusation that a brick from the castle fell off, and hit her. Well they let her spend all the money to go to court for the lawyer and stuff, then they informed the judge that the castle is made up of concrete, no bricks. Needless to say, she lost!

As for cameras and peepholes, I would hope they didn't have any in toilets or changing rooms, but I know their security is pretty top-notch. You'll never hear any "lost child" announcements on their PA system, because Security can usually scour the park with their cameras and undercover security.

[muawiyah]

Tigger was just found innocent in court. The father was one of the defense witnesses; said he didn't see anything at the time and he was the one taking the pictures.

The divorce followed. The complaint followed. No doubt this woman isn't finished.