French stars face soliciting trial

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PARIS -- The Paris prosecutor's office says French national team players Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema will face a trial for soliciting a minor.

The office said Tuesday that six other people and a nightclub suspected of serving as a base for a network of prostitutes are being charged with aggravated pimping in the case.

The trial is going ahead at the behest of a judge, even though the prosecutor's office has argued the charges should be dropped.

A woman who says she has been paid for sex since she was 16 has testified Real Madrid's Benzema and Bayern Munich's Ribery solicited her while she was underage. Prostitution is legal in France, but prostitutes must be older than 18.

Both men have denied the claims, which first arose in April 2010.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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