Ilombe Mboyo: Charlton Athletic deny move for convicted rapist

Mboyo, nicknamed 'Le Petit Pele', has won two international caps for Belgium

Championship club Charlton Athletic have denied reports linking them with a move for Genk striker Ilombe Mboyo, who is a convicted rapist.

A report in the Daily Mail on Wednesday suggested the Addicks were attempting to sign the Belgium international.

Mboyo, 28, spent time in prison in Belgium for participating in the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in 2004.

"He is absolutely not on our radar. He is not a player we are interested in signing," said a Charlton spokesman.

Mboyo, who scored eight goals in 19 league games for Genk this season, was 17 at the time of his crime and was subsequently sentenced to seven years in jail.

He was spotted by a football scout during a training session at a Belgian prison which was being held as part of the 'Football in Prison' scheme, which had been started in 1995 by Princess Paola [now Queen Paola] of Belgium.

Mboyo was allowed to train with Charleroi, after approval from the Belgian courts, and the DR Congo-born player then signed a professional contract in 2009.

He subsequently moved on to Kortrijk and Gent before joining Genk in 2013 for a fee of £3.5m.

Mboyo came close to joining West Ham in the summer of 2013 but the Hammers pulled out of the deal after their supporters voiced their opposition on social media.

A petition calling for Charlton not to sign Mboyo had been launched by Twitter user Jean Hatchet before the Addicks moved to distance themselves from a move for the striker.

Hatchet started similar petitions calling for Sheffield United and Oldham Athletic not to sign former Wales international Ched Evans following his release from prison after serving time for rape.