20 May 2003

tatu manager held for exploiting underage girls

The man behind the phoney lesbian pop duo, Tatu, has been arrested last Thursday in Moscow for disturbing the peace.

Ivan Shapalov, the manager and producer of the Russian pop duo, Tatu, was detained in Moscow's famous Red Sqaure after arranging for some 200 teenage girls to dance and kiss in front of Lenin's tomb and the church of St Basil during the filming of the video for the song Show Me Love.

The 36-year-old was accused of perverting the morals of underage girls - mostly aged 13 to 16 but some as young as seven - almost all of whom were wearing the Tatu "uniform" of short plaid skirts and white blouses, reports The Moscow Times.

According to Russian media reports, police received complaints about loud "squawking" from the teenage extras who were fighting amongst each other to have their photos taken with Tatu singers, Julia Volkova and Lena Katina.

Stunned singers Volkova and Katina, both 18, watched in silence as their manager was led away.

Shapovalov was held for about an hour by the police and then taken to the Khamovniky district court, where he was reprimanded by a judge as the court heard that The Kremlin had twice turned down his request to make the video on Red Sqaure.

Filming of the video - which is due to be screened during the girls' forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest performance later this month - was cancelled.

Last week, London Police banned Shapalov from filming across from the Houses of Parliament, citing a law preventing persons from gathering "near the House of Commons or House of Lords when parliament is sitting."

Russia