At the start of 2013, Ryan ( the first name has been changed ) is still a college student in a Parisian establishment. Magnetized by the world of television, he is particularly fascinated by the host Jean-Marc Morandini. The Marseillais, ex-symbol of the touted TV version TF1 in the years 1990, rebuilt an aura on Europe 1 then NRJ 12, a channel of the TNT which targets a young public of 15 to 25 years.
In order to observe Morandini in his works, Ryan attends one of his shows on set with his mother. At the end of filming, the then 15-year-old teenager approaches his idol, 32 years his senior (Jean-Marc Morandini turns 55 this Wednesday) to request a photo. Contact continued for a few weeks on Twitter in private messaging and SMS. At first flattered by this unexpected proximity, Ryan quickly engages in exchanges with strong sexual connotations with the star of the small screen. At one point, the host, for example, brings up the idea of “a threesome” with his colleague Cécile de Ménibus. "A simple joke", he says in front of the police three years later.
Very raw terms
According to the elements collected by the brigade for the protection of minors, Jean-Marc Morandini also describes, still in writing, a fellatio scene that Ryan could perform on his person. “You knelt… you opened my belt, then opened the pants then the fly…”, he exposes before unfolding the rest of his scenario in very crude terms. A purely fictitious sexual act that never materialized. This message, dated March 10, 2013, was discovered a few days later by the older brother and then by Ryan's father. The latter contacts Morandini and asks him to cease all contact with his son. He also files a simple handrail since Ryan does not wish to file a complaint.
In July 2016, the young man, now 18, changed his mind. He lodged a complaint after having read an investigation by Inrockuptibles which reveals the behind the scenes of a very naked web series produced by Jean-Marc Morandini. The case tarnishes the reputation of the summer recruit of I-Télé (former name of CNews) and leads to the opening of an investigation, still ongoing, following two complaints filed for sexual harassment and undeclared work.
"Mr. Jean-Marc Morandini did not know that I was a minor"
As for the very explicit message sent to Ryan in March 2013, it comes back like a boomerang to its author. For justice, this is a decisive element to justify his referral to the criminal court on July 30, for aggravated minor corruption. An offense punishable by seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euros. During his custody in September 2016, the former presenter of “Everything is possible” on TF1 recognizes the existence of this written exchange. Then argues that these few lines were taken out of a context of reciprocal exchanges on the theme of sexuality. "Despite our requests, the instruction, carried out exclusively at the charge, was satisfied with a selection of messages handed over by the boy's father to the investigators, ”regrets his lawyer Me Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt.
In addition, Morandini maintains that he was not aware of the age of his interlocutor until the warning message from the father. A point on which the respondent and the complainant end up coming together. "On reflection, Mr. Jean-Marc Morandini did not know that I was a minor and had no way of knowing it", writes Ryan in a message addressed to the examining magistrate in April 2018. The young man withdraws his complaint in order to , it seems, “to escape media pressure” but maintains his accusations. The hypothesis of a financial arrangement between the parties is ruled out by the examining magistrate.
"It was a trap"
At the same time, the host of CNews and NRJ 12 remains the target of another similar complaint. This was filed in September 2016 by a young man who relates a very particular casting dating back to July 2009. At that time, Charles ( the first name has been changed ) was only 16 years old and his head full of dreams of cinema. Jean-Marc Morandini then presents a news program on Direct 8, “Presumed Innocent”. He also claims to lead a project of remake of the film "Ken Park". A work by American director Larry Clark containing very explicit sex scenes. In this context, he comes into contact with Charles via a professional site specializing in castings and even reassures the teenager's mother by offering, during a telephone conversation, to cover the travel costs. This time, no ambiguity about the age. The mother claims to have announced the 16 spring of her son before the appointment.
Arrived alone at the Parisian home of Jean-Marc Morandini, rue de la Pompe, Charles explains having discovered many photographs of erect sexes on the living room table. Asked to undress completely, he complies but refuses to masturbate as required by his host who presents this step as a prerequisite to land a role. The boy would have left the scene on the spot. He then locks himself in silence and in the throes of anorexia and depression for several years, before filing a complaint at the end of the summer of 2016, also encouraged by the revelations about the very personal casting methods. from producer Morandini. "I didn't think I would find myself in this kind of situation, it was a trap…", Charles told investigators.
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Constantly, including during a confrontation, Jean-Marc Morandini claims to have kept no memory of the visit of the teenager. He also thinks he can detect, in his story, certain inconsistencies relating to the description of his home. Apart from "traits of resentful temperament and jealousy-possessiveness", the psychiatric expertise carried out on the television host revealed no personality disorder and no "pedophilic-type" deviance. His lawyer has just appealed against his referral to the criminal court.
