An online personality known as ‘Amine Mojito’ has been sentenced to six months in prison for staging fake syringe attacks on unsuspecting individuals in an attempt to gain popularity. Ilan M., the French influencer behind the disturbing pranks, was arrested after posting the video on TikTok just before the Fête de la Musique (World Music Day) in June, causing widespread outrage.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Mojito filmed himself pretending to inject people with an empty syringe and recorded their shocked reactions in a video titled “Mojito le piqueur fou” (the mad stinger). These actions incited public outcry in France, where incidents of needle spiking were already a concern at festivals and student gatherings. Despite numerous reports, only a few confirmed cases of needle spiking were documented during the music festival in June.
The court acknowledged that Mojito’s pranks inadvertently fueled the phenomenon of needle spiking. Prosecutors sought a 15-month prison sentence with electronic monitoring, including a five-month suspended sentence. Ultimately, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with six months suspended, for the charge of “violence with a weapon that did not result in incapacity for work.”
In addition to the prison term, Mojito was fined €1500 (£1,302) and prohibited from possessing or carrying a weapon for three years. He expressed regret in court, admitting that his actions were influenced by online content from other countries and that he did not consider the potential harm to others. Mojito’s lawyer stated that the sentence helped restore a balance between public order and the rights of the defendant.
Despite pleas for leniency from Mojito’s legal team, citing his prior detention, social media users criticized the perceived leniency of the sentence. Many expressed concerns about the potential repercussions of such pranks, emphasizing the fear and distress experienced by the victims tricked into believing they had been injected with something harmful.