French football duo face underage sex charges

FRANCE international footballers Frank Ribery and Karim Benzema were yesterday charged with having had sex with an underage prostitute, as magistrates cracked down on an alleged celebrity vice ring.

The indictments are the first stage of a formal judicial investigation that could lead to a trial and, if convicted, both players face up to three years in jail and a fine of €45,000.

Ribery, who plays for German giants Bayern Munich, arrived at the offices of the investigating magistrates at the Palace of Justice in Paris, but he was left without preconditions after the hearing.