Latest Offenders

Description

A former junior school teaching assistant has been jailed for sexual offences against a child.

Geddes Abbott, 34, of no fixed address, admitted seven counts including assaulting a girl under 13 and causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.

He was sentenced to 10 years and eight weeks in prison at Norwich Crown Court on Tuesday.

Abbott had previously worked at George White Junior School in Norwich, which said it was "appalled and saddened" but that the offences did not relate to any pupils or the school.

The Inclusive Schools Trust said: "We are saddened that a former colleague could be capable of such awful offences."

"At Inclusive Schools Trust, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is of paramount importance to us.

It added all of the correct recruitment and safeguarding processes were followed before Abbott joined the school.

Description

A man has been jailed for raping a 13-year-old girl following an investigation led by specialist detectives at the Metropolitan Police.

Sorosh Amini, 21 (14.11.2003), of Station Road, Croydon was sentenced to 7 years in prison on Friday, 27 June at Croydon Crown Court, after previously being convicted of rape and sexual assault.

He was also issued with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Amini was arrested and charged following a thorough investigation which utilised CCTV footage and specially trained forensic dogs to place him at the scene.

He left his home address in London the day after the offence. Officers then used phone data and CCTV to locate him in Liverpool and arrested him 5 days later.

Detective Inspector Donnett Oseni, who led the investigation, said:

“Amini’s attack on this vulnerable girl was predatory and calculated. He has demonstrated himself to be a dangerous sexual offender and this sentence prevents him from harming anyone else.

“I want to commend the victim for her courage in coming forward and reporting this offence to us. I hope today’s verdict will bring her and her family some semblance of closure.”

In August 2024, Amini approached the victim in broad daylight on North End Road in Croydon, persistently tried to engage her in conversation and would not leave her alone when told. He then followed her down North End Road and into an alleyway.

Here, he forcibly kissed her and tried to put a cannabis joint into her mouth. He also told her that he was friends with someone who recently stabbed a person in the area, making the victim scared that he may have a knife. Amini then raped her.

The victim reported the assault to police and received safeguarding and support from specialist officers.

Amini was convicted on Thursday, 1 January following a two-week trial at the same court.

Description

A vile County Durham man with a fantasy for sex attacks on women tried to rape a teenage girl walking alone in woodland.

Christopher Bates is the living embodiment of every woman and girls nightmare, a judge said as she jailed him for life on Thursday (June 26).

The 37-year-old, locked up in 2006 for attempted rape, pushed the girl into bushes and tried to rape her while she desperately fought him off and screamed for help.

It happened earlier this year when the high risk sex offender, who was living in a secure unit near Spennymoor after his release from prison, managed to escape while being taken to a dentist appointment.

Teesside Crown Court heard the teenage victim was walking alone when he approached her pretending to be lost. It was the first time he had been unsupervised in years.

Prosecutor Mr Paul Cleasby said: He asked her whether she was alone and whether she had a mobile phone.

The child gave directions but his mannerisms made her feel awkward and she decided to leave the woods.

But Bates chased her, catching up and saying he was going to do her before performing a sex act on himself.

Desperate, his teen victim lied saying she was only 10-years-old in a bid to deter his interest but he told her he didnt care, the court heard, and pushed her into thorny bushes before trying to rape her.

She managed to stop him for long enough until a passing dog walker came to her aid and he fled. The court heard her dad had previously taught her how to defend herself in case of such an attack.

Police arrested him a short time later. In bodycam footage he could be heard telling officers: To be honest I dont know what I was doing. I just lost my head.

He made no comment in two police interviews meaning the girl had to identify him from a line-up.

In an impact statement, read by the prosecutor, the girls mum said: She used to go for walks for hours. I am lucky if I get her out of the house for ten minutes.

When were out shopping if a man comes past her she starts to get scared, hiding behind her dad.

We cant go into the woods anymore. The woods where the offence occurred used to be her safe place.

The attempted rape bore a stark resemblance to the crime he had been jailed for 15 years for in 2006 when he pushed another girl into bushes before trying to rape her. His licence period ended just 17 days before he struck again.

Judge Jo Kidd jailed Bates for life, telling him: You are the living embodiment of every woman and girls nightmare.

You are the reason why from a young age we tell our girls how to defend themselves.

I have no doubt that the advice given by [the victims] dad to his daughter saved her from the most appalling and unthinkable, sadistic crime.

"You immediately set about to put a plan in place where you would relive your fantasy to drag a female into bushes."

He admitted attempted rape at an earlier hearing but was back before the court for sentence on Thursday.

He must serve six years and eight months before a parole board can consider him for release, and if he ever leaves prison he will remain on license for life.

Bates was also handed a restraining order against the victim and placed under a sexual harm prevention order which a judge said will prevent him contacting anyone under 18 if he is ever released, and even ban him wearing certain clothing.

He previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of exposure which was left to lie on file.

Detective Constable Dave Taylor, from South Durham CID, who led the investigation said:

This was an appalling and horrific crime that will have a significant and profound impact on the young girl for many years to come.

Christopher Bates targeted a young, vulnerable girl in a secluded, isolated area in a very predatory way which showed clear evidence of pre-planning.

He poses a significant risk to lone women and girls which is reflected in the sentence passed today.

I would like to take this opportunity to praise the bravery of the young girl who has shown remarkable courage throughout this investigation, which will have had a profound impact on her both mentally and physically.

I only hope that she, her family, and the community as a whole can take some comfort from the significant sentence imposed and that she is able to move forward with her life again.

Description

Three men have been jailed for several sexual offences against an underage girl in 2018 after she was groomed over a social media messaging platform. 

Today (Thursday 26 June 2025), at Liverpool Crown Court, Michael Linfoot, 24, of Chorley, Callum Hesketh, 24, of Chorley, and Thomas Rae, 24, of Chorley, have been convicted of several sexual offences which took place against an underage girl in the Rivington area of Bolton seven years ago. 

On 23 April 2018, Hesketh messaged the victim, who was 15 at the time, via a social media messaging platform asking her to partake in a threesome, but the victim declined.  

Over next few weeks Hesketh continued to call and message her. He would then video call her and ask her to pose in different sexual positions for him while he masturbated. 

On the evening of 16 June 2018, the victim and her friend got a lift from the Adlington area with Hesketh and Linfoot. The two men picked the two girls up in a white van - which belonged to Linfoot - in exchange for alcoholic drinks.  

They drove to Rivington and parked the van where the victim’s friend received a phone call and stepped outside the vehicle. Meanwhile, Hesketh began to have sex with the victim and Linfoot took his penis from his trousers and orally raped her at the same time.  

While this was happening, Hesketh recorded the sex acts on his mobile phone and sent them out via a broadcast option on a social media platform with the caption, ‘Gang bang out here’. 

The victim heard Hesketh talking on his mobile phone and a short while later three more men arrived on motorbikes. 

One of the men, Thomas Rae, approached the van and removed his penis from his trousers and orally raped the victim. 

Afterwards, the two girls got into the rear of the van and Hesketh and Linfoot took them back to Adlington and purchased a bottle of wine for them before they drove off. 

Following a long and meticulous investigation, the three men who pleaded guilty, have been sentenced for their actions. 

Michael Linfoot has been convicted of one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 in Rivington in 2018. He has been sentenced to 11 months in prison, suspended for 12 months. 

Thomas Rae has been convicted of one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 in Rivington in 2018. He has been sentenced to 11 months in prison, suspended for 12 months. 

Callum Hesketh has been convicted of sending sexualised social media messages to the victim and one count of making indecent videos of a child in Rivington 2018. He has be en sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months.

Description

A rapist who subjected his wife to decades of abuse before trying to murder her has been jailed for 27 years.

Trevor Smith, 61, of South Brink, Wisbech, habitually raped, beat and controlled the victim throughout their 40-year relationship.

Officers were called to their home in the early hours of 22 January last year.

They discovered the victim had up to 20 puncture wounds to her neck and arms after being stabbed by Smith in an unprovoked attack.

Smith had approached her from behind in the kitchen, grabbed her by her T-shirt and attacked her with a knife.

The victim had managed to block Smith trying to slash her throat and three family members, who had heard her screams, managed to pull him off.

As they pinned him to the ground waiting for police to arrive, Smith could be heard saying he was “trying to finish her off”.

While the victim was being treated for her injuries, she said Smith had been raping her, usually weekly, for years.

When their now adult children were young, he would order her into a caravan where he would sexually assault her.

He would say, “you know it won’t take long, just get it done then you can get back to them.”

Due to Smith’s controlling behaviour, the victim never sought medical help for her injuries and was sometimes in pain for weeks.

In a bid to stop the victim and their children leaving the home, he would bolt the door closed and if they went out, he followed them.

Smith controlled all the finances, barred the victim from owning her own phone and any money they had was spent on him, leaving the victim sometimes relying on food parcels.

Following a trial last September, Smith was found guilty of attempted murder, six counts of rape, attempted rape, three counts of assault by penetration, two counts of controlling and coercive behaviour, assault by beating and two counts of child cruelty.

He appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on 12 June where he was sentenced to 27 years in prison.

DC Chris Herring, who investigated, said:

“Firstly, I would like to pay tribute to the woman at the heart of this case who was subjected to the most appalling abuse for so many years, yet she has shown incredible strength in supporting the investigation all the way through.

“Smith arrogantly thought he would always get away with carrying out this cruel, monstrous behaviour for so long. I welcome this sentence, and I hope this case sends a clear message to those who commit violent and sexual offences - we will do all we can to bring them before the courts.

“It can be hard for victims to know what to do when incidents happen behind closed doors, but I must stress there is help and support available.

“I would encourage anyone who thinks they might’ve been a victim of a sexual offence to contact us on 101 or via web chat on the force website. We take all reports of sexual offences very seriously.

“We have a dedicated team of specially trained officers ready to investigate allegations promptly, fully and professionally, and a network of partnership agencies and support services to offer assistance and support.”

Description

A paedophile who groomed, exploited, and coerced two teenage girls into sex work in the early 2000s has been sentenced to 13 years in prison today (Wednesday 25th June 2025) at Manchester Crown Court.

Christopher Oates (28/11/1979) of Tannock Road, Stockport, has been brought to justice after he subjected vulnerable girls to a campaign of violence and sexual abuse twenty years ago.

He groomed one of the survivors from when she was 14 years old. He provided her with a false sense of security, paid her compliments, and pretended to be her boyfriend.

The court heard how this relationship progressed, as Oates plied her with drugs, gifts, and affection, using the trust and control he gained to persuade her to start sex work on the streets of Manchester.

When she began to doubt his intentions and asked to go home, Oates dragged the teenage girl down an alleyway, violently attacked her, and threatened her with a gun, stating: You do as I say, youre mine now, commanding her to go to her spot.

While Oates had frequently been abusive towards her, this incident was the catalyst for change.

She confided in her mother and support services and found the strength to move forward with her life, while courageously supporting our police investigation.

In a victim impact statement, that was read out in court, she said: One of the hardest pills to swallow has always been how, how can one human being make another do something so extreme.

To have to read letters I wrote idolising this man, professing my love for him, and telling everybody that would listen he was my boyfriend is heartbreaking. The trust I remember feeling, the love and how special I must have felt at a time when I felt completely alone in the world is what Ive had to accept is the how I would have done anything, and you used that for your own sick advantage.

You groomed me, you put a gun to my head, and not only did you abuse me, but you let other men too. The fear, the pain and confusion I felt I cant begin to put into words. And the impact of this?

Even now I struggle to trust my own judgements 20 years later; I cant make simple decisions without feeling wrong, overwhelmed, and panicked. I still dont trust me.

Detectives investigating this case were able to identify a second victim, who was 17 years old when Oates coerced her into sex work.

This girl only knew Oates by the nickname Nails due to his long fingernails. It was through this recollection and viewing images of Oates at the time, along with similar victim accounts, that we were able to identify Oates as the offender.

The two victims recall Oates taking them to a designated spot in central Manchester at least once a week to carry out sex acts in cars for money. One night, he organised for them to have sex in a room with a man while being recorded on video.

Oates would supply both victims with cocaine and alcohol and pressured them to take crack cocaine and heroin, aiming to build an addiction and increase their dependency on him, but they declined and managed to escape.

The second victim in this case also provided an impact statement, which stated: I was bullied and manipulated and the person responsible for this was Christopher Oates.

At the time when the exploitation was happening, I felt ashamed, embarrassed, and pressured by Oates. I felt absolutely vile during and after the incident involving the video camera and also when I stood on street corners, I felt scared about who would be in the next car that stopped, and I was terrified.

Since this time, I have regularly had to pass the location of where this happened when travelling on the train, and I have had to look away and look out the other side, so I did not need to see it.

Operation Green Jacket

This case formed one of 15 live investigations running under Operation Green Jacket, led by our Child Sexual Exploitation Major Incident Team, dedicated to securing long-awaited justice for victims of non-recent child sexual abuse in Manchester.

Since Operation Green Jacket was launched in 2019, we have arrested 73 suspects and conducted over 1,300 interviews.

Identifying, tracing, and pursuing our suspect

Oates is the first offender to be sentenced following a long and complex investigation. Our enquiries commenced in November 2012 when a warrant was executed at his property in relation to drug offences.

Oates was not present, and three days later he flew from Heathrow to Bangkok. However, his mobile device was seized, and digital examinations revealed it contained 130 indecent images of children alongside searches for related content.

In 2021, detectives investigating Operation Green Jacket wanted to speak with Oates. His passport records indicated he remained in Thailand. Through extensive enquiries, the investigation team was able to establish that Oates had been living in the Dominican Republic and returning to the UK intermittently before moving back.

In November 2023, Oates was arrested at an address in Stockport where he was cultivating cannabis and in possession of a significant quantity. He also had a passport with his photo and a false name, as well as a matching driving licence and bank card. Oates had travelled using this documentation on at least five occasions.

Officers seized his tablet containing indecent images of children and evidence that Oates was sending sexualised messages to a child through social media.

In April 2024, on what would have been the first day of trial, Oates pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children, taking indecent images of children, and attempting to engage a child in sexual communication. He also pleaded to the production of cannabis and two counts of possessing an identity document with improper intent.

Oates was remanded into custody. On 5th September 2024, he was postal charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 15 years old and two counts causing / inciting a child aged 13 17 years to prostitution.

In March earlier this year on the fourth day of his trial, Oates admitted to the offences.

Today (25/06/2025) he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for all his crimes.

Description

A paedophile who asked a 13-year-old girl to call him “daddy” has been jailed for more than four years.

Mickey Boots, 28, of London Road, Yaxley, began speaking to the victim from Lancashire on 18 March 2023 when he added her on Snapchat.

They also spoke on Whatsapp, with Boots claiming he was 17 and the girl repeatedly telling him she was 13.

Boots encouraged her to touch herself and asked to see inappropriate images of her.

He also sent her some inappropriate photos in return and asked her to save his number in her phone as “daddy”.

Boots called her while touching himself and the conversations ended on 21 March 2023.

The victim reported Boots to Lancashire Police and Cambridgeshire officers attended his home to arrest him and seize devices.

In interview, Boots became agitated and accused officers of “antagonising” him when phone recordings of him speaking to the victim were played. 

On Monday (23 June), at Peterborough Crown Court, Boots was jailed for four-and-a-half years, having pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communications with a child and cause/incite a girl to engage in sexual activity.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Description

A Stirling creep who secretly photographed a teenage girl as she bent over her schoolbag had been engaging in sickening chats with other perverts.

Gerard Deery had three images of the girl – who was known to him but not related – plus one of her friend, hidden in a locked folder on his phone.

Description

A "predatory paedophile" sent sexualised messages to who he thought were teenage girls and asked them if they could do "naked stuff".

He was described as having an "appalling" record for paedophilic offences, including indecent assaulting and inciting children into sexual activity.

David Taylor, 43, of Barry, was reported to the police by a "vigilante paedophile hunting group" after he had spoken to two decoys who he believed were 15 and 14-year-old girls respectively. As a result of this, he was in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which had been imposed by the courts.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday heard the first conversation was with a decoy named "Frankie" who told the defendant she was a 14-year-old.

Taylor did not use his real name, and used a social media tagline of "TheDude123".

During the conversation, the defendant attempted to groom "Frankie", asked her about sex and sent her links to pornographic websites.

He told "Frankie" he was there to "educate her", gave descriptions of masturbation, told the decoy he was masturbating, and asked her to open her legs and "rub" between them.

Prosecutor Alex Greenwood said Taylor told the decoy to touch her vagina, asked about her underwear and asked her to send pictures of her "rubbing herself".

The defendant began communication with the second decoy on April 27, who he believed to be a 15-year-old girl named "Lily",

The conversation was similar in nature to that of the first decoy, with Taylor asked "Lily" if she wanted to "get naked", asked her if she wanted to see him naked and made reference to masturbation

He made requests for images and asked "Lily" if she wanted to meet up with him, asking "Do you want to do naked stuff at mine?".

The defendant described being "sexually aroused" and said he was masturbating during their conversation..

Taylor, of Thompson Street, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to arranging/facilitating a child sexual offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause/incite a child to engage in sexual activity, breaching sex offender notification requirements, and attempting to meet a girl under 16 by grooming.

Mr Greenwood said the defendant has a "significant and appalling record" of seven convictions. These include; indecently assaulting a female under 14 and gross indecency with a child under 16 in 2005, breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2007, further breaches of the SOPO in 2010, multiple offences of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity in 2013, breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in 2018 and further breaches of the SHPO in 2024.

In mitigation, Peter Donnison said his client had been making efforts to earn qualifications while in prison, but he was finding it difficult to find employment when released because of his previous convictions.

It was also said the defendant suffered a head injury as a child and has been diagnosed with arrested hydrocephalus.

Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said Taylor's sexual attraction to children was so strong he "struggled to pass them in the street".

The judge added: "You are a predatory paedophile who uses children on the internet to gratify your own powerful and long standing sexual urges."

Taylor was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, with an extended licence period of five years.

He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Description

A Camborne sex offender has been jailed for six years after being convicted of the abuse of two young boys. 

Kevin Matthew Blake, 41, of Rosewarne Wollas Cottages, Camborne, was previously convicted by a jury of four counts of assault of a boy under 13 by touching.

Blake appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence on Thursday, June 26. He was also made subject of a 20-year sexual harm prevention order.

During the proceedings, the court heard how Blake’s offending came to light in 2023 when concerns were raised that he had repeatedly declined to undertake a DBS check.

An investigation was launched in relation to two identified male victims, who both told officers they were touched sexually by Blake, the second victim saying it happened to him on several occasions.

During interview following his arrest, Blake denied any offending every took place.

Blake had previously been on the Sex Offenders’ Register but was not subject to it at the time of the start of the investigation.

Officer in the case DC Emily Distin from the Public Protection Unit, said: “Kevin Blake only had the courage to admit what he has done following his conviction, so I am happy that he has finally been brought to justice for his horrific crimes.

“I would like to thank the young victims and their parents for bravely supporting this investigation and allowing us to ensure Blake will spend a number of years behind bars.

“We take all allegations of child sexual abuse extremely seriously and urge any victims to either contact us on 101 or via our website, or by calling 999 if a child is in immediate danger.

“We will thoroughly investigate all reports made to us.”

Description

A Qatari national who travelled to the UK for heart treatment has been jailed for seven years for sexually assaulting a woman at a leading London hospital. He will be deported after completing his sentence.

Nasser Al-Gherainiq, 27, a camel herder from a conservative Bedouin tribe in Qatar, dragged the woman into a toilet cubicle at the Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea and sexually assaulted her for five minutes, a court heard.

The assault took place on 23 August 2023, just one month after Al-Gherainiq arrived in Britain for treatment for a rare heart condition.

“Immature and Inexperienced Adolescent,” Court Told

At Southwark Crown Court, Al-Gherainiq denied two counts of attempted rape, claiming his behaviour stemmed from a lack of exposure to women due to his strict cultural upbringing.

His defence barrister, Jane Bickerstaff KC, told the court:

“Until July 2023, he had never left Qatar. The only woman he would have had meaningful contact with was his mother.

His limited visits to Doha and preference for the desert meant he had no experience of urban life or modern societal norms.”

Ms Bickerstaff described him as having the emotional maturity of an adolescent, saying:

“He completely failed to understand her true feelings.”

Despite these arguments, jurors convicted Al-Gherainiq of two counts of attempted rape, in addition to charges of sexual assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, which he had previously admitted.

Sentencing and Deportation

Judge Hiddleston sentenced Al-Gherainiq to seven years in prison, noting the traumatic impact on the victim. The sentence will be reduced by 415 days already served on remand. The judge also ordered that Al-Gherainiq be deported to Qatar after completing his sentence.

The Royal Brompton Hospital, world-renowned for cardiac care, declined to comment on the incident but confirmed that security procedures have been reviewed.

Description

A Fife paedophile has admitted downloading footage of children as young as one being sexually abused.

Luke Ramage from Lochgelly pled guilty to downloading indecent images and videos of children over an six-month period.

Description

A man has been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a woman and assaulting another, causing actual bodily harm, in autumn 2024.

Mihai Marian (Mike Marian), aged 43, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday (20 June) following his trial at Stafford Crown Court last month. Along with this prison sentence, he has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

At the trial, jurors heard how Marian had met one of the victims through an online dating app. During one encounter with the victim, he stubbed out cigarettes on her back against her will.

Marian was then pursued by Leicestershire Police after he raped and sexually assaulted a different woman in October of the same year.

He was found guilty of the offences on 29 May and handed an eight-year prison sentence for rape, four years for the sexual assault, to be served concurrently, and six months imprisonment for the actual bodily harm, also to be served concurrently.

PC Steven Franklin, who was the officer in charge of the case, said:

“This was a horrifying case in which Marian showed no remorse and refused to admit his guilt.

“Thankfully, the jury saw through his lies and rightly convicted him for his offences.  

“I commend the bravery of the victims for coming forward and thank Leicestershire Police for their work in assisting us in this case.”

Description

A paedophile who groomed a girl online for years while using a fake profile then abused her in person is starting a lengthy jail term.

In May this year, Shabaz Hussain was found guilty of 12 child sex offences including five counts of engaging sexual activity with a child. He was sentenced on Tuesday to nine years' imprisonment at Teesside Crown Court.

His offending also included sexual communication with a child and arranging/facilitating commission of a child sex offence and three counts of possessing indecent images of children. A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said examination of his devices showed that Hussain, of Woodlands Road in Middlesbrough, had groomed a female child online over a number of years from when she was 12.

In order to gain the child’s trust, Hussain had also created a fake female child profile. "This profile was also used to communicate with the child reinforcing trust in Hussain and it was used to exploit and manipulate the victim," said a police spokesperson.

"The online grooming would eventually lead to Hussain arranging to travel and meet the child when she was 15 years old in order to engage in sexual activity with her under false pretence." The sentencing followed a lengthy investigation by Cleveland Police’s specialist POLIT team (Paedophile Online Investigation Team).

It came after a referral was made to them regarding Hussain communicating online with a child. Speaking after the sentencing, officer in the case, POLIT PC Evans heeded a warning to others about dangers online and also praised the victims' bravery.

“I’d like to pay tribute to the victims for their bravery in speaking to police and for supporting our enquiries which inevitably meant they had to relive their experiences with Hussain as we gathered information and evidence," said PC Evans.

“Hussain’s deceit in concealing his true identity while online and then when meeting the victims in person shows the danger he poses and I’m relieved he will now spend time in prison, with further restrictions on his freedoms after he is released. I hope the victims and their families can now begin to rebuild their lives.

“Cases like this illustrate the need for everyone to be aware of the dangers of speaking with people online. They may not be who they seem and we’d always urge extreme caution, especially when youngsters are engaging with people they don’t actually know.”

Description

The British paedophile charged in connection with organising a "mock wedding" to a child in Disneyland Paris is Jacky Jhaj, who was found guilty of sexual activity with two 15-year-olds in 2016, the BBC understands.

Jhaj, 39, has been charged in connection with organising the fake ceremony on Saturday, in which a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl was due to feature as his bride.

He was arrested when police were called on Saturday morning by an actor who said he had been hired by Jhaj to play the father of the bride.

The BBC has previously investigated how Jhaj was able to hire hundreds of children to act as his fawning fans at a fake film premiere in London's Leicester Square in 2023.

Some of the children, who had been hired from casting agencies, were as young as six.

Teenage girls told the BBC that they had been asked to scream for him and try to touch him, without being told his real identity by the agencies.

Then in June last year, Jhaj was seen giving gifts to children outside dance auditions for another production - he was recognised by a parent who had seen the BBC article.

Two months later, and following the BBC's further investigation, Jhaj was filmed posing naked in front of a mocked-up BBC News lorry in London which had been set on fire.

For the mock wedding at Disneyland Paris, which was to be filmed by Jhaj's team, around 100 French extras had been recruited to take part.

The BBC understands that he appeared in front of a judge in Meaux, north-east of Paris, on Monday and was charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering, and identity theft and placed in pretrial detention.

Preliminary findings also stated that he had allegedly been "made-up professionally so that his face appeared totally different from his own", according to the French prosecutor.

Jhaj has been on the sex offenders register since 2016 and has spent time in prison. He is subject to restrictions on his freedoms under the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Since he was released from prison, he has repeatedly staged productions involving children or young people.

BBC News can reveal that some videos of these productions were uploaded to a YouTube account styled as an official performer's channel.

The account received more than six million views and had over 12 million subscribers.

A video on a different channel included secretly filmed footage of one of the 15-year-old victims he was convicted of sexually exploiting.

Her family has told the BBC that Jhaj "destroyed" her life and said it's unacceptable that YouTube allowed the video to be watched for entertainment for four years.

Videos of the productions remained on YouTube for years until last September, when the BBC alerted Google, which owns the platform.

It told the BBC at the time that it takes users' safety seriously, but offered no explanation as to how an account featuring a man with almost no profile or success had 12 million subscribers, or why the videos were not removed.

Over the past two years, the BBC has spoken to videographers, production assistants and technicians who worked on some of the events before they discovered Jhaj's real identity.

Their records show that the cost of hiring casts and venues has run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The cost of hiring the area in front of the Odeon cinema in London's Leicester Square, which hosts red carpet events for major Hollywood premieres, would have run into tens of thousands of pounds.

French outlet BFMTV reported that the fake wedding at Disneyland may have cost organisers more than €130,000 (£110,000).

It remains unclear how these elaborate productions have been funded.

The French prosecutor said the Ukrainian girl arrived in France two days before the Disneyland event – but had not been a victim of either physical or sexual violence and had not been "forced to play the role" of a bride.

The prosecutor's statement also said that Disneyland Paris had been "deceived" and that the organiser had used a fake Latvian ID to hire the venue. Disneyland Paris can be rented by members of the public outside opening hours.

In a statement, the UK's 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."