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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
Telegraph
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Disneyland paedophile ‘took nine-year-old bride's mother on holiday'
A convicted British paedophile allegedly took the nine-year-old girl he was due to 'marry' in Disneyland Paris on holiday with her mother the year before their fake ceremony. Jacky Jhaj, 39, who was described in a previous court case as a 'dangerous sexual predator', was arrested at the fake wedding, which took place at dawn on June 21 at the resort for a reported cost of €130,000 (£111,140). An actor hired to play the 'father' of the 'bride' told The Telegraph that Jhaj had known the girl and her mother for a year and that the three of them had gone on holiday together. 'This Ukrainian woman [the mother] told me that she had known this Jacky for a year. A year. He paid her money and helped her family,' said Vitalijs, 54, who declined to give his surname for 'security reasons'. 'They went somewhere together to relax, the three of them. I think he won her over with gifts. And if, as the girl's mother told me at the airport, they were on holiday together, the three of them,' he added. Police were called to the theme park after staff were alerted to the fact the 'bride', a Ukrainian national wearing a wedding dress and reportedly tottering on high heels, was a young child. Jhaj, who rented the resort outside of its opening hours for the fake wedding, was remanded in custody and charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft. He has also been placed under assisted witness status for corruption of a minor. The child and her 41-year-old mother were released without charge. 'Father of bride' says he foiled plot Vitalijs, who told The Telegraph he was a former Soviet special forces sergeant, claimed he had foiled the plot. 'I know how to recognise threats and act in critical situations. I have special military training. This time, I couldn't stay silent,' he said, adding that he had been 'in a separate special forces unit of the GRU airborne troops' just before the fall of the Soviet Union. He said Jhaj told him the 'bride' would be played by the nine-year-old's mother, who he met a month before at a casting for the event in Brno, in the Czech Republic. Vitalijs said: 'I was paid €150 for the casting. They promised to pay €500 for one hour of filming in Paris,' he said. Previous reports had suggested he had been offered a far higher sum. He was only informed that the 'bride' was in fact the child and not the mother 'five hours before the ceremony', when he pulled out and was banned from attending by Jhaj. However, he went to Disneyland to inform management of the involvement of a minor. 'I knew I had to act. I snuck into Disneyland without a pass. One of the employees accompanied me. I had a handwritten note with me that said: 'This is not a real wedding. The girl is nine years old!' 'I approached the could see that the ceremony was taking place on the second floor. 'I entered the first floor and saw… a Disneyland employee who had been present at the online meeting. I immediately handed her the note. The [fake] wedding was stopped immediately.' Vitalijs said when he went to the police station, officers showed him a British passport with his photo on it. '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 this girl in Riga had asked me for a passport photo 'for a pass to Disneyland',' he said, referring to another event organiser. 'Of course, I [told the police] that it wasn't me and that it wasn't my passport.' After the foiled event, he said he met the mother and the child at the police station when all three were released without charge. They travelled to the airport together, where she told him she had known Jhaj for a year and that she had been on holiday with him. Vitalijs said that after his service in Soviet special forces, he went on to train in London to become an 'international bodyguard' and was employed to protect several French film stars, including Alain Delon and Catherine Deneuve.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
British paedophile charged over mock Disneyland wedding to child
A British man arrested at Disneyland Paris for allegedly trying to stage a mock wedding with a child bride has been named. Paedophile Jacky Jhaj, 39, appeared at a French court on Monday charged in connection with the disturbing ceremony at the theme park on Saturday. Jhaj is well-known to UK police and was placed on the sex offenders register in 2016 after being found guilty of sexual activity with two underage girls in Feltham, West London. Reports suggest that around £110,000 was paid to hire Disneyland Paris for the private wedding event before the park opened to members of the public. Le Parisien, which first broke the story, said park staff alerted authorities when they saw the child playing the role of the bride appearing in high heels, barely able to stand. The BBC reported that the event was to be filmed by Jhaj's team with around 100 French extras recruited to take part. Following Jhaj's arrest, the BBC reported that he appeared before a judge in Meaux, Paris, charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering, and identity theft. Also arrested in connection with the fake ceremony was the girl's mother, a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman. A 24-year-old Latvian woman said to be playing the role of the bride's sister and a 55-year-old Latvian man were also arrested. Staff at Disneyland reportedly claimed there were deceived by the event, with false documents used to secure the hire agreement. Since Jhaj was registered on the sex offenders list in 2016, he has been accused of holding staged productions involving young people, according to a BBC investigation. In 2023, the corporation alleged he hired hundreds of children to act as fans at a fake film premiere in London. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "A 39-year-old man is wanted by the Met Police for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a breach of a Sex Offenders' Register notification requirement. "We are aware the man has been arrested in France for other matters and officers are in contact with the French authorities." The Independent has contacted the courthouse in Paris and Disneyland Paris.
The Sun
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Brit Disneyland groom arrested for staging ‘wedding' to girl, 9, UNMASKED as sex offender behind spate of bizarre stunts
THE Brit arrested for allegedly staging a mock wedding with a nine-year-old at Disneyland Paris is convicted paedophile Jacky Jahj. Jahj, 39, previously jailed in the UK for child sex offences, is now on the run from British authorities, French prosecutors say. 5 5 5 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. His latest arrest came on Saturday, with French police charging him with multiple offences on Tuesday. The sex offender was allegedly the "groom" in a twisted mock wedding ceremony - involving a nine-year-old girl as "bride" - which played out before 100 guests at Disneyland Paris' Sleeping Beauty castle. Disney staff immediately called the police upon spotting a "scared and confused" child in a big dress with four-inch heels taped to her feet, reports French newspaper Le Parisien. Jahj was described as the "mastermind" behind the sick stunt. He has reportedly been charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft. Jahj and the girl's 41-year-old mother, believed to be Ukrainian, were arrested, along with two others involved in the ceremony. Both Disneyland Paris and the "guests" claim they were deliberately misled - none knew a child would be involved in the mock wedding. The sex offender even conned Disney officials by "assuming the identity of a Latvian national and using false documents to secure the contract" of the park, according to a Meaux prosecuting spokesman. Prosecutors confirmed on Tuesday that Jahj is known in the UK "for sexual offences against minors". Before his arrest, he drove around the streets of Hounslow, offering girls alcohol and claiming to be a Hollywood film producer. After his conviction, Detective Constable Nav Johal, the investigating officer from Hounslow CID, said: "Thanks to the courage and bravery of the young vulnerable victims who gave evidence, a dangerous sexual predator has been brought to justice. 'I am hopeful that the verdict and sentencing will give them some peace and closure, and they will be able to, in time, move forward from this difficult period." But the convicted paedophile has pulled a string of bizarre stunts since being released from jail. In September 2024, Jahj 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 Jahj 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. A Met spokesperson said: "A 39-year-old man is wanted by the Met Police for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a breach of a Sex Offenders' Register notification requirement. "We are aware the man has been arrested in France for other matters and officers are in contact with the French authorities." 5
News.com.au
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
French police probe fake Disneyland 'marriage' with nine-year-old
French police were on Sunday probing the circumstances of a bizarre stunt at Disneyland outside of Paris, with a group of adults suspected of hiring the theme park and paying hundreds of extras to stage a fake marriage for a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl. Two people were held for questioning in the case, which initially caused alarm when staff alerted police on Saturday that it could have concerned an illegal child marriage. But investigators now believe that the so-called "marriage" was staged, with the girl's mother reportedly saying that she wanted her to feel like a Disney "princess" for the day. "The event turned out to be a staged event, with the guests themselves extras" invited to be part of the stunt, deputy prosecutor Alexandre Verney said. "So it wasn't a wedding, but a staged wedding filmed with around a hundred extras. They hired Disneyland Paris, pretending it was a real wedding," he told AFP. Four people were arrested and taken into custody, and the questioning of two of them -- suspected of fraud and money laundering -- was extended on Saturday evening. They are the so-called "groom" who is believed to be behind the event, 22 years old and "presumed to be British", and a Latvian woman, 24, said a source close to the case. However, the other two people detained -- a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman, and a 55-year-old Latvian man -- were released. The investigations, including a medical examination of the nine-year-old girl, a Ukrainian national, found that "she had not been subjected to any violence or coercive acts," the prosecutor's office said. According to the Le Parisien daily, which first reported the incident, a man had several weeks previously hired the Disneyland Paris complex for a sum of 130,000 euros ($150,000) for several hours before it opened to the public. Staff were astonished when the nine-year-old appeared wearing high heels on Saturday morning, barely able to stand in the elaborate footwear, and they alerted the authorities, it said. The paper said the man who organised the event had submitted false documents concerning his identity and Disneyland filed a complaint. Hundreds of extras were bussed in to play the part of the guests, it said, while the girl's mother told investigators she wanted to organise a "day worthy of a princess" for her daughter.
