Footballer Ribery charged with sex with underage prostitute

French football international Franck Ribery was placed under formal judicial investigation Tuesday on allegations he had sex with an under-age prostitute, a judicial official told AFP.

The 27-year-old midfielder appeared before an investigating magistrate in Paris after having been detained by vice squad officers and questioned for six hours on a charge of having “solicited an under-age prostitute.”

The magistrate’s indictment is the first stage of a judicial investigation that could lead to a trial and, if convicted, Ribery faces three years in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros (58,000 dollars).

Ribery’s French international team-mate 22-year-old Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was expected to appear in the same court later in the day and could face a similar charge, the judicial official said.