UPDATE: According to an update from Spectrum News 13, the guest arrested is a registered sex offender. Records show he was convicted of sexual battery on a person under the age of 12 in 1991.
A guest has been arrested over allegations that he groped a Disney Princess walk-around character at the Magic Kingdom, according to Orlando’s Spectrum News 13‘s Ashley Carter.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, 51 year-old Brian Sherman of Orlando and his wife were visiting the park shortly after noon on Saturday, where the two visited the area near the grotto to take pictures with a princess. According to the Walt Disney World website, the grotto is home to an Ariel meet-and-greet, but the affidavit never specified which princess was involved.
As they were preparing to pose for pictures, Sherman allegedly shouted that the princess was “his favorite,” and proceeded to put his right arm around her. As the character performer “looked visibly uncomfortable” from this, her coworkers, which included a character attendant, suggested that Sherman try a different pose which would remove his arm from around the princess.
Sherman then allegedly moved his arm lower, cupping the performer’s right breast between his “right forefinger and thumb.” The only thing separating Sherman’s hand from the performer’s breast, according to the affidavit, was the “skin-tight fabric” of her costume. The affidavit continued, saying that when the co-workers directed Sherman to move his hand, which he then allegedly “”slipped… back around her shoulders.”
A PhotoPass photographer took pictures as Sherman posed for another photo, which deputies later used to identify Sherman as the alleged groper.
The affidavit added that the cast member began “shaking and crying” after Sherman left. The meet-and-greet location was closed immediately following the incident. The performer reportedly told deputies she wanted to press charges and was willing to testify in court.
Sherman was later arrested and has been charged with battery.
Keep reading WDWNT for updates on this ongoing story.
MORE:
Man Arrested After Allegedly Touching Child Inappropriately at the Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Cast Member Arrested for Attempting to Arrange Sexual Encounter With 8-Year-Old
Disney Manager Arrested on Suspicion of Possessing Child Pornography
Feel so bad for her… hope he sees his day in court sooner than later and is appropriately charged for his inappropriate actions. Such a shame.
Glad the attendant was brave enough helped the actress. Too many people stay quiet. Hope the actress gets the resolution she deserved.
What? No commentary from the “Walt is Spinning in His Grave” contingent?
Seriously though, I hope she doesn’t drop the charges. Not addressing abhorrent behavior like this has a cumulatively negative impact on – most importantly – CM’s and also on guests. I’ve always wondered why more CM’s don’t press charges. I wish her a speedy recovery from this assault.
I feel so terrible for her! What a traumatic experience. I hope Disney offer her whatever help she needs to get over this disgusting assault.
Disney needs to figure out how to get more booze in the parks….
So that people can get so drunk that they get themselves so warped to where more people start to think that it is ok to do this kind of stuff , right Karl ?
But at the very least it is good to know that Disney knows how to throw drunk sexual predators off of its’ property forever .
I won’t pretend to understand the meaning behind Karl’s comment, but it’s possible he was being sarcastic and trying to imply that Disney’s policy change regarding serving alcohol in the Magic Kingdom is a contributing factor to obnoxious behavior. If that’s what he means, then I wholeheartedly disagree. Some people are just obnoxious, with or without the aid of booze.
He clearly misinterpreted the question “You want thingamabobs?”
For the record, I feel bad for this cast member also, and I’m glad to hear that charges were filed against the idiot who chose to behave this way in a family park. Having said that, I do find humor in almost everything, however, so I hope you can all forgive my attempt at a joke in the above comment.
This Princess is an actual QUEEN for standing up for herself!
If you google his name and Orlando fl
It says he’s a registered sex offender!
What is wrong with people!
That’s gross
The sentiment of your message is profoundly overshadowed by your username.
It’s the guys like this that give us the “This is why we can’t have nice things” moments for us polite and respecting older fans of the character/princess meets.
Even more so for the Grotto-Ariel fans…Couldn’t he have picked on Elsa, or somebody else?
Wow, even Eric has to wait in line to meet Ariel. The things we do to make a marriage work!
This isn’t something to joke about.
Were you directing that to EricJ, I hope? Because MY joke was about the fact that his name is Eric.
My Friends ,
I am sure willing to bet that the groper has been trespassed from Walt Disney World Property for life
so no matter what no one will ever have to worry about that again from him at the very least at Walt Disney World .
What a lowlife. He just wanted to go under the C cup.
Yes! Thank you!
What a scumbag. That poor girl had to be terrified. Considering this lowlife is a registered sex offender, I think there’s a good chance he is sentenced on the harsher side of the spectrum. I certainly hope so, at least.