The threat of a trial is approaching for Jean-Marc Morandini. According to our information, the Paris public prosecutor's office requested, on April 3, the referral to the criminal court of the host of CNews and NRJ12 for corruption of minors over 15 years old, suspicions which he disputes.
The 55-year-old presenter of "Crime and Miscellaneous" was accused by two teenagers who denounced the inappropriate attitude he allegedly had towards them. In 2013, Ryan's father (the first name was changed) , then aged 15, appeared before the investigators of the brigade for the protection of minors (BPM). Rummaging through his son's phone, he discovered particularly crude exchanges between the teenager and the host. The latter describes in particular in great detail a scene where he imagines Ryan practicing him oral sex. At the time, no complaints were made.
The publication of a survey in the magazine “Les Inrocks” in the summer of 2016 is a game-changer. The article reveals dubious castings organized by the person who then officiates each morning on Europe 1 for a web-series comprising many bare scenes. Ryan decides to file a complaint this time. An investigation, in which three associations are civil parties (The voice of the child, Innocence in Danger and Casting info service), is open.
Ryan says he attended a program by Jean-Marc Morandini in early 2013. Fascinated by the host, he then contacted him via Twitter. In his own words, their conversation skids to take a sexual turn. In his eyes, Jean-Marc Morandini could not ignore his minority, his age appearing in particular on his Twitter profile. In addition, in certain messages, the adolescent explained to him that he was revising his history-geography lessons with his mother.
A non-decisive letter for the prosecution
The procedure was enriched by the complaint of a second adolescent. In 2009, then aged 16, Charles (the first name has been changed) explains that he is contacted by a certain Claire after registering on a casting site. She offered him an audition for a film produced by Jean-Marc Morandini, the next day, at the Parisian home of the host.
On the spot, the latter explains to him that he wants to edit a remake of Ken Park, a film by the American Larry Clark including many violent and erotic scenes involving teenagers. The host then insisted that he undress, explaining that the other candidates had agreed to do so. Jean-Marc Morandini then asked him to reproduce a masturbation scene from the film. Charles refuses and leaves.
Jean-Marc Morandini has repeatedly denied these accusations. Concerning Ryan, he assures that he was unaware of his minority qualifying the exchanges with him of balanced and reciprocal. In 2018, citing the fear of the psychological consequences that this procedure could have on him, the youngster withdrew from his civil party status before writing the following letter to the judge: "Reflection made, Mr. Jean-Marc Morandini didn't know I was a minor and had no way of knowing. "
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But, for the prosecution, this missive is not decisive. "The sincerity of its content [...] can be questioned," said the prosecution. The prosecution says that the host could not ignore the minority of Ryan.
Psychiatric expertise
As for Charles, Jean-Marc Morandini disputes the way in which the complainant describes this casting, which, moreover, he says he does not remember. He says he never asked the candidates he received for his project to masturbate. But specifies that some of them were able to spontaneously do so in order to demonstrate their suitability for the role…
To establish his requisitions, the prosecution recalls that this episode had serious psychological consequences on Charles who plunged into depression and anorexia. Before the expert psychologist, he expressed his feeling of guilt and shame by having the impression of having been considered as an object.
During this investigation, Jean-Marc Morandini was subjected to a psychiatric assessment which did not detect any mental pathology in him, contenting himself with emphasizing his spiteful nature and his possessive jealousy.
"This indictment is empty and does not develop any argument on the qualifications used, sweeps Me Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt, one of the counsel of the host. It is all the more surprising that he intervenes while several of our requests for deeds are in progress. "
It is now up to the investigating judge to rule on the holding of a possible trial.
