Even in the U.S., some states allow marriages before the age of 16 under certain circumstances.*

Horrified by such statistics, YouTube personality Coby Persin created a social experiment by posing as a wedding photographer and taking pictures of a 12-year-old bride and a 65-year-old groom – both actors – in a pretty public place: New York City's Times Square.

He wanted to see "how the public would react" to such a scene, he explains in a YouTube video.

So how did they react? Many looked horrified as the unhappy bride and grinning groom posed together in their wedding attire.

Some individuals also approached the "couple" and began to ask questions about their age and whether the bride wanted to be there.

The faux groom told inquirers he had the girl's parents' permission. They looked at him in disbelief.

Some observers took the girl by the hand and began to lead her away from the older man, saying they were taking her to the police for safety.

*(Some reports also say girls as young as 12 can be married in Massachusetts – which may be what Persin references early on in the video – though whether that's actually state law appears a bit murky.)

(usnews.com)