Latest news with #JackyJhaj
Telegraph
06-07-2025
- Telegraph
Paedophile behind fake Disneyland wedding ‘had 50 false identities'
A convicted paedophile who staged a series of stunts to get close to young girls has at least 50 known aliases and is under investigation for fraud, The Telegraph can reveal. Jacky Jhaj, 39, described as a 'dangerous sexual predator', has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on fake film shoots over the past five years. He was arrested in Paris last week after spending around £100,000 to conduct a fake wedding to a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland. Jhaj previously turned a National Trust property into a film set, hired the Odeon Leicester Square for a fake premiere and created a dance school for eight to 14-year-old girls at which he turned up in a Bugatti supercar to greet them. How Jhaj financed these lavish stunts has never been uncovered. Jhaj was jailed for four years in 2016 after being convicted of sexual activity with two 15-year-old girls he had picked up after driving around Hounslow, west London. He gave the girls a lift in his Range Rover, bought them meals, alcohol and gifts and pretended to be a film producer. Jhaj now faces several counts of fraud, abuse of trust, money laundering and identity theft, French prosecutors have said. The Metropolitan Police has also confirmed, for the first time, that it has opened an investigation into ' possible fraud offences' committed by Jhaj. Court documents obtained by The Telegraph, following a recent hearing at Isleworth Crown Court, reveal that the sex offender is known to use 'multiple aliases'. The documents state: '[Jhaj] has registered 50 [aliases] with the police and has been discovered to use unregistered pseudonyms. 'He has used these aliases to book female child actors from casting agencies; to book into hotels; and to organise events attended by female children. In addition, he has attempted to give false names to the police when stopped and questioned.' The court papers go on to say that '[Jhaj] has gone to great lengths and significant financial expense to engineer situations in which he is able to have contact with female children, including those under the age of 16'. The Telegraph tried to speak to Jhaj's family members, former business partners and staff who have worked on his stunts. But no one was willing, or able, to provide an explanation for his wealth. Jhaj's family home, a neat, well-maintained semi-detached with a Range Rover Vogue parked in the drive, sits within earshot of Heathrow's southern runway, on the edge of the suburb of Bedfont. Neighbours said they now rarely see the family, who were described as being 'friendly and always happy to say hello' before their youngest son's bizarre stunts and sexually predatory behaviour became widely known. One elderly neighbour said: 'I used to see the mother and father quite often, coming and going, and they were always polite and friendly. But since all this happened they've pretty much hidden away. It's a great shame.' He added: 'The father is retired and I don't know how their boy, Jaskarn, got the money to do that stuff. It must have cost a lot to hire all those people and the locations. I've no idea where he got it from. Seems crazy.' A teenage girl, who lives close to the Jhaj home, said: 'I've spoken to his sister-in-law a couple of times and she seems really nice, but I've never seen him. It's just so weird and horrible what I've read about the stuff he was doing.' The Telegraph was unable to get an answer from the family home. It also visited a number of business director's addresses registered by Jhaj with Companies House, including an apartment block in Finchley, a recently built residential development in Docklands and a nondescript terraced house in Hounslow. The properties either appeared to be uninhabited or those living there said they did not know Jhaj and had no dealings with him. 'Mourners' for fake funeral In July 2024, Jhaj pleaded guilty to two breaches of a notification order and a breach of a sexual harm prevention order, Isleworth Crown Court confirmed. The charges related to a fake film shoot he staged in Leicester Square, London, in October 2023, where 200 children and young women were recruited to appear alongside Jhaj as fans. In April 2024, he used Backstage, an internationally renowned casting platform, to hire child actors in order to stage an elaborate fake funeral, costing £10,000, at the London Oratory. The funeral was held for Lauris Zaube, a 23-year-old Latvian man who went missing after a New Year's Eve party near an iced-over dam west of Riga, Latvia. Jhaj is said to have posed as the missing man's brother, wearing dark glasses and using the name 'Clyde'. The funeral was cancelled after the 'mourners' revealed that they were actors and began complaining they had not been paid. In October, he organised a film shoot near the O2 Arena featuring a 'controlled explosion' that destroyed a fake BBC lorry.
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
British paedophile who has been charged over Disneyland Paris wedding 'had taken young girl and her mum on holiday before fake ceremony'
A notorious British paedophile allegedly took a nine-year-old girl and her mother on holiday a year before he arranged to 'marry her' in a grim ceremony at Disneyland Paris. Jacky Jhaj, 39, attempted to marry the Ukrainian girl in a staged ceremony last month and was arrested last week. He reportedly spent £111,000 on the bizarre ceremony with more than 100 actors hired to play guests at the event, while the schoolgirl was meant to act as his 'bride'. Jhaj – who is on a sex offenders register in the UK following criminal convictions – remains in custody in France after being charged with a series of criminal offences. In preparation for the event, Jhaj had been in contact with the family for more than a year and took them on a family holiday. Today a former Russian special forces paratrooper today emerged as the whistleblower who prevented the paedophile from going through with the ceremony. The 54-year-old Latvian, who only uses his first name of Vitalijs for security reasons, helped get Londoner Jhaj arrested a week ago last Saturday. On Wednesday, Vitalijs said he had been offered the equivalent of £550 to play 'the father of the bride'. He assumed he was giving away the 41-year-old mother, but when he realised the betrothed was in fact her little girl, he exploded with anger. Vitalijs, who served as a paratrooper in the Red Army before the collapse of the old Soviet Union, only found out about the child's role 'five hours before the ceremony' and immediately quit, he said. Despite Jhaj telling him to stay away, he travelled to Disneyland to alert management about the involvement of the minor. 'I knew I had to do something,' he said. 'I sneaked into Disneyland without a pass.' Vitalijs, who does not speak French or English, used his special forces training to get into the theme park – the most popular in Europe – and carried a note with him. It read: 'This is not a real wedding. The girl is nine years old!' Vitalijs said he approached the wedding stage, and handed the message to a Disney employee, who ensured the 'wedding was stopped immediately.' Police arrived within minutes, and a number of suspects including Jhaj were arrested and taken into custody. Vitalijs was driven to a police station, where he was shown a fake British passport with his photo on it. Vitalijs said: 'I found out that my passport had been forged. I only remember the first name, Mikhail. I don't remember the surname. 'I remembered that a woman in Riga [Latvia] had asked me for a passport photo for a pass to Disneyland. 'Of course, I told the police that it wasn't me and that it wasn't my passport.' Vitalijs was released without charge, as were the Ukrainian mother and child. Vitalijs had got to know the pair after meeting them at a casting session for the Disneyland stunt in the Czech Republic in May. She told him she had known Jhaj for a year, and even gone on holiday with him, while also accepting cash from him. Jhaj has since claimed: 'I'm just a simple actor who took part in a film shoot'. Jhaj made the comment to examining magistrates in Meaux, east of the capital city, after his arrest. His lawyer, Jean-Christophe Ramadier, said Jhaj was solely placed in 'provisional custody' because 'he had no guarantee of legal representation in France, where he has no address.' He was guilty of sexual activity with two 15-year-olds in Britain in 2016. Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the Meaux prosecutor, confirmed the Ukrainian child had not suffered 'any violence, neither physical nor sexual,' and had 'not been forced into playing the bride.' Mr Bladier said Jhaj 'played the role of the groom after having been professionally made up to display a face completely different from his own.' An unidentified 24-year-old Lativian woman is also being held in connection with the stunt. The investigation into the fake wedding continues.
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Brit paedophile behind fake Disneyland wedding ‘took child bride, 9, and her mum on holiday' before grim ceremony
A CONVICTED Brit paedophile allegedly took a nine-year-old "child bride" and her mum on holiday a year before arranging a grim wedding ceremony. Jacky Jhaj, 39, attempted to marry the young Ukrainian girl in Disneyland last month before the "dangerous sexual predator" was arrested. 6 6 6 Jhaj reportedly spent over £111,000 on the sick wedding plans as he hired more than 100 actors to play guests at the staged event. One of those recruited through a social media callout was told he would play the 'father' of the bride. Devastated Vitalijs, 54, said he had no idea what he had signed up for prior to turning up in Paris. The former Russian special forces paratrooper was one of the first to raise the alarm about the sickening marriage plot. Vitalijs says one major warning sign of Jhaj's true intentions came after he spoke to the bride-to-be's mum. She revealed the London-born predator had been in constant contact with the family for over a year. Jhaj had spoiled the mum with money and gifts and even paid for a family holiday, Vitalijs claimed. He told The Telegraph: "This Ukrainian woman [the mother] told me that she had known this Jacky for a year. "He paid her money and helped her family. "They went somewhere together to relax, the three of them. I think he won her over with gifts." Vitalijs, who only uses his first name for security reasons, also revealed he was offered £550 to play "the father of the bride". But he was lied to as he signed up to give away the girl's 41-year-old mother. He soon realised inside the theme park the "bride" was instead an underage girl as he immediately refused to be a part of the bizarre act. Vitalijs then hatched a plan to get the ceremony cancelled as he broke into the park without a pass on the morning of the planned event. Vitalijs approached the wedding stage and handed a note to Disney staff, who saw a "scared and confused" child in a big dress with four-inch heels taped to her feet. Staff managed to stop the wedding immediately and called the French cops. Several suspects were arrested within minutes - including Jhaj and the girl's mum. Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the Meaux prosecutor, confirmed the Ukrainian child had not suffered "any violence, neither physical nor sexual" and had "not been forced into playing the bride". The mum was later released without charge but Jhaj was held after being labelled the "mastermind" behind the operations. It was then revealed that he had rented the resort outside of its opening hours to host the fake wedding. His sick acts landed him charges of fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft. He was also placed under assisted witness status for corruption of a minor. After his arrest, the convicted paedophile told the examining magistrates in Meaux: "I'm just a simple actor who took part in a film shoot". His dark past was soon uncovered as in 2016 Jhaj was found guilty of sexual activity with two 15-year-olds in Britain. The investigation into the fake wedding continues. Who is Jacky Jhaj? CONVICTED paedophile Jacky Jhaj, 39, has been previously jailed in the UK for child sex offences. He was on the run from British authorities at the time of the sick wedding stunt, French prosecutors say. The disgraced director and actor, from Feltham, was jailed in 2016 for four years after being found guilty on four counts of sexual activity with two 15-year-olds. Before his arrest, he drove around the streets of Hounslow, offering girls alcohol and claiming to be a Hollywood film producer. But the convicted paedophile has pulled a string of bizarre stunts since being released from jail. In September 2024, Jhaj staged an explosion using an old BBC truck and Union Jack-draped vehicles packed with explosives, filming himself naked as the blaze spiralled out of control behind him. The incident was reported to be a film production stunt. But it triggered panic, with hundreds of calls flooding emergency services as locals feared a terrorist attack. Residents were not warned beforehand and only found out afterwards through a post on the Borough of Greenwich's official Facebook page. A year before the explosion, footage surfaced of Jhaj mixing with around 200 children and 100 young women at a film shoot in London's Leicester Square. The shoot, which shows some of the children touching Jhaj, took place on October 17, 2023, the BBC revealed at the time. The BBC reported that the organiser of the event - known as "Project BRT" - hired 90 children aged six to 14 from an agency called Jam 200 The production also booked around 100 young women between the ages of 16 to 24 from Uni-versal Extras. 6 6 6
Scottish Sun
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘Father' paid to give away girl, 9, at fake Disneyland wedding to Brit paedo reveals incredible mission to raise alarm
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN hired to play the role of a bride's father has revealed how he stopped a convicted Brit paedophile from "marrying" a nine-year-old girl in a fake Disneyland wedding. Vitalijs, a former Russian special forces paratrooper, raised the alarm on Londoner Jacky Jhaj, 39, who was set to "marry" the Ukrainian schoolgirl in a fake £111,000 ceremony. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Jacky Jhaj is a convicted paedophile who was jailed for four years in 2016 Credit: Getty - Contributor 7 Jhaj was allegedly the 'groom' in a mock wedding ceremony with a child at Disneyland Paris Credit: GETTY IMAGES 7 Vitalijs, a former Russian special forces paratrooper, raised the alarm on Londoner Jacky Jhaj Credit: Peter Allen Jhaj – previously jailed in the UK for child sex offences – was arrested and remains in custody in France after being charged with a series of criminal offences. The sex offender was allegedly the "groom" in a twisted mock wedding ceremony in which the nine-year-old girl was meant to act as his "bride". The bizarre wedding was played out before 100 guests at Disneyland Paris' Sleeping Beauty Castle. Vitalijs, who only uses his first name for security reasons, revealed he was offered the equivalent of £550 to play "the father of the bride". He was first told he would be giving away the girl's 41-year-old mother. But when he realised the "bride" was instead an underage girl, he immediately refused to be a part of the bizarre act- and plotted a plan to take down the fake wedding. Vitalijs, who said he served as a paratrooper in the Red Army before the collapse of the old Soviet Union, added: "I knew I had to do something." On the morning of the wedding, the 54-year-old Latvian broke into the Paris Disneyland without a pass and raised the alarm on the fake wedding. Vitalijs, who does not speak French or English, said his special forces training to get in and carried a note with him. It read: "This is not a real wedding. The girl is nine years old!" Dramatic footage shows riot cops clashing with furious locals as suspected sex offender is bundled into van by officers Vitalijs said he approached the wedding stage and handed the note to Disney staff, who saw a "scared and confused" child in a big dress with four-inch heels taped to her feet. They then ensured the wedding was stopped immediately. French cops arrived within minutes, and several suspects, including Jhaj, were arrested and taken into custody. Vitalijs was driven to a police station, where he was shown a fake British passport with his photo on it. Vitalijs said: "I found out that my passport had been forged. I only remember the first name, Mikhail. I don't remember the surname. "I remembered that a woman in Riga [Latvia] had asked me for a passport photo for a pass to Disneyland. "Of course, I told the police that it wasn't me and that it wasn't my passport." 7 A bracelet given to guests at the fake ceremony showed the name 'Jack' as the pretend husband on behalf of paedophile Jacky Credit: Instagram/bfmtv 7 Guests at the twisted mock 'wedding rehearsal' in front of Disneyland Paris' Sleeping Beauty castle Credit: 7 Footage showed the mock wedding rehearsal Vitalijs was released without charge, as was the Ukrainian mother and her child. He said he had got to know the pair after meeting them at a casting session for the Disneyland stunt in the Czech Republic in May. The mum told him she had known Jhaj for a year, even took her daughter on a holiday with the sex offender while also accepting cash from him. Jhaj has been described as the "mastermind" behind the sick stunt. After his arrest, the convicted paedophile told the examining magistrates in Meaux: "I'm just a simple actor who took part in a film shoot". His lawyer, Jean-Christophe Ramadier, said Jhaj was solely placed in "provisional custody" because "he had no guarantee of legal representation in France, where he has no address". In 2016, Jhaj was found guilty of sexual activity with two 15-year-olds in Britain. Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the Meaux prosecutor, confirmed the Ukrainian child had not suffered "any violence, neither physical nor sexual" and had "not been forced into playing the bride". Mr Bladier said Jhaj "played the role of the groom after having been professionally made up to display a face completely different from his own" The investigation into the fake wedding continues.
The Irish Sun
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Father' paid to give away girl, 9, at fake Disneyland wedding to Brit paedo reveals incredible mission to raise alarm
A MAN hired to play the role of a bride's father has revealed how he stopped a convicted Brit paedophile from "marrying" a nine-year-old girl in a fake Disneyland wedding. Vitalijs, a former Russian special forces paratrooper, raised the alarm on Londoner Jacky Jhaj, 39, who was Advertisement 7 Jacky Jhaj is a convicted paedophile who was jailed for four years in 2016 Credit: Getty - Contributor 7 Jhaj was allegedly the 'groom' in a mock wedding ceremony with a child at Disneyland Paris Credit: GETTY IMAGES 7 Vitalijs, a former Russian special forces paratrooper, raised the alarm on Londoner Jacky Jhaj Credit: Peter Allen Jhaj – The sex offender was allegedly the "groom" in a twisted mock wedding ceremony in which the nine-year-old girl was meant to act as his "bride". The bizarre wedding was played out Vitalijs, who only uses his first name for security reasons, revealed he was offered the equivalent of £550 to play "the father of the bride". Advertisement read more on the case He was first told he would be giving away the girl's 41-year-old mother. But when he realised the "bride" was instead an underage girl, he immediately refused to be a part of the bizarre act- and plotted a plan to take down the fake wedding. Vitalijs, who said he served as a paratrooper in the Red Army before the collapse of the old Soviet Union, added: "I knew I had to do something." On the morning of the wedding, the 54-year-old Latvian broke into the Paris Disneyland without a pass and raised the alarm on the fake wedding. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Latest Vitalijs, who does not speak French or English, said his special forces training to get in and carried a note with him. It read: "This is not a real wedding. The girl is nine years old!" Dramatic footage shows riot cops clashing with furious locals as suspected sex offender is bundled into van by officers Vitalijs said he approached the wedding stage and handed the note to Disney staff , who saw a "scared and confused" child in a big dress with four-inch heels taped to her feet. They then ensured the wedding was stopped immediately. Advertisement French cops arrived within minutes, and several suspects, including Jhaj, were arrested and taken into custody. Vitalijs was driven to a police station, where he was shown a fake British passport with his photo on it. Vitalijs said: "I found out that my passport had been forged. I only remember the first name, Mikhail. I don't remember the surname. "I remembered that a woman in Riga [Latvia] had asked me for a passport photo for a pass to Disneyland. Advertisement "Of course, I told the police that it wasn't me and that it wasn't my passport." 7 A bracelet given to guests at the fake ceremony showed the name 'Jack' as the pretend husband on behalf of paedophile Jacky Credit: Instagram/bfmtv 7 Guests at the twisted mock 'wedding rehearsal' in front of Disneyland Paris' Sleeping Beauty castle Credit: 7 Footage showed the mock wedding rehearsal Advertisement Vitalijs was released without charge, as was the Ukrainian mother and her child. He said he had got to know the pair after meeting them at a casting session for the Disneyland stunt in the Czech Republic in May. The mum told him she had known Jhaj for a year, even took her daughter on a holiday with the sex offender while also accepting cash from him. Jhaj has been described as the "mastermind" behind the sick stunt. Advertisement After his arrest, the convicted paedophile told the examining magistrates in Meaux: "I'm just a simple actor who took part in a film shoot". His lawyer, Jean-Christophe Ramadier, said Jhaj was solely placed in "provisional custody" because "he had no guarantee of legal representation in France, where he has no address". In 2016, Jhaj was found guilty of sexual activity with two 15-year-olds in Britain. Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the Meaux prosecutor, confirmed the Ukrainian child had not suffered "any violence, neither physical nor sexual" and had "not been forced into playing the bride". Advertisement Mr Bladier said Jhaj "played the role of the groom after having been professionally made up to display a face completely different from his own" The investigation into the fake wedding continues. 7
