A series of fake syringe pranks has landed a French influencer in legal trouble over his viral videos on social media.
27-year-old Anime Mojito, whose real name is Ilan M, caused fear on the streets of Paris for weeks with his content.
His clout-chasing actions have finally caught up to him, and he is now facing legal consequences.
Highlights
- French influencer Anime Mojito was arrested and charged after posting viral syringe prank videos online that created fear among Parisians.
- The 27-year-old admitted the pranks were inspired by what he “saw on the internet,” claiming he didn’t realize they “could hurt others.”
- Netizens were not happy with his sentencing, as many demanded a longer and harsher imprisonment for him.
- “That’s genuinely disturbing, doing something so cruel just for attention shows how far social media clout chasing can go,” wrote one user.
“He will probably get out and do it again. He’s lucky someone didn’t end him for this but hey, anything for likes and attention on social media right?” wrote one concerned social media user.
Anime Mojito has been charged and sentenced for stabbing people with empty syringes on the streets of Paris
Image credits: amine_mojitonew / Instagram
In an attempt to go viral, the influencer shared now-viral videos on his TikTok account, Anime Mojito Official, of himself pretending to inject strangers with syringes on the streets of Paris.
In these clips, Anime secretly approached unsuspecting passersby and injected them with empty syringes.
The prank videos caused outrage online, with viewers concerned for their safety as they watched several victims react with surprise, fear, and, in some cases, pain from the needle jab.
Image credits: amine_mojitonew / Instagram
Most of the videos, filmed in June of this year, showed the TikToker running away from the scene laughing, avoiding any confrontation.
Many of the victims chased after him or threatened to fight in self-defense.
The 27-year-old targeted unsuspecting strangers for his TikTok content, creating an atmosphere of fear among Parisians
Image credits: amine_mojitonew / Instagram
While most people were concerned and a massive outrage erupted on social media, several of his fans began imitating the injection pranks at student parties and festivals.
About 145 incidents were reported by victims in 2025, though these reports represented only a fraction of the actual pranks.
Image credits: camera obscura / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
He spent nearly two months in pre-trial detention, held in isolation at Fleury-Mérogis Prison in the southern suburbs of Paris while awaiting trial.
The trial took place on October 3 at the Paris Criminal Court, where he was convicted of “violence with a weapon not resulting in work incapacity.”
“Injecting air into someone's blood can k**l that person… This is attempted m**der,” expressed one netizen.
A massive online outrage was sparked by Mojito’s prank videos, with some cases reported to the authorities
Image credits: Basil_TGMD / X
Prosecutors had demanded a severe sentence of fifteen months in prison under electronic monitoring, with five months suspended.
However, the court sentenced him to 12 months in prison, six of which were suspended.
He will therefore serve six months behind bars, along with additional penalties.
Mojito was fined €1,500 (approximately $1,757.44) and received a three-year ban on “owning or carrying any weapons.”
Image credits: Basil_TGMD / X
Anime’s lawyers, Marie Claret de Fleurieu and Philippe Ohayon, requested clemency or a pardon to reduce his sentence.
Shortly after the sentencing, Marie shared her opinion on the legal system and commented on what the punishment represents in light of her “client’s fundamental rights.”
The prankster was sentenced to serve six months in prison, along with a fine of €1,500 and a three-year ban on using any weapons
Image credits: Basil_TGMD / X
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“[It] brings the debate back to more reasonable proportions after the initial media frenzy [and] restores a bit of balance between public order and my client’s fundamental rights.”
During his hearing, Mojito shared his reasons for pulling such pranks.
Given the popularity of prank videos these days, he admitted that he “didn’t know” he was doing something “very bad.”
“I had the very bad idea of doing these pranks by imitating what I saw on the internet, in Spain, in Portugal. I didn’t think it could hurt people. That was my mistake, I didn’t think about others, I thought about myself.”
Image credits: amine_mojitonew / Instagram
One user voiced their discontent, writing, “Six months! whoever sentenced him was blind deaf and dumb!! Six years would not have been enough.”
Image credits: Matthew Ansley / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
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Another commented, “I am fed up of influencers trying to scare people this way, just for a few likes. It builds up distrust of fellow humans and that ends badly in the long term.”
Ilan was charged with “violence with a weapon not resulting in work incapacity” and spent two months in detention
Image credits: amine_mojitonew / Instagram
“6 months? It should be more like 6 years,” a third added.
“Does he at least use a clean needle on each person? If not, he should get a life sentence, not six months.”
According to some French media outlets, Ilan did not stab anyone with an actual injection, as he kept the syringe cap on during each prank.
Image credits: amine_mojitonew / Instagram
However, the court considered that his videos, intentionally or not, promoted a climate of fear, even though the number of reported cases was relatively low.
Since his arrest, the official TikTok account on which Anime shared his prank content has been taken down.
“If someone comes up to me with a syringe, I'm going to assume attempted m**der and react accordingly.”
“People shouldn't even joke about that… I will take them down with me and I will not take their word that it's a prank,” one user wrote online
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