A disturbing incident happened at Disneyland Paris over the weekend, after a luxury wedding ceremony turned out to involve a nine-year-old girl as the bride and a convicted pedophile as the groom.
The event, which the groom claimed was staged, cost the organizers a staggering $130,000 (£111,000).
The wedding guests were left shocked after they realized they had been tricked into attending what they thought was just a classy and elegant wedding.
What Really Happened at the Sleeping Beauty Castle?
On the morning of Saturday, June 21, 2025, around 100 guests showed up at Disneyland Paris, thinking they were attending a rehearsal for a classy wedding.
The event took place in front of the Sleeping Beauty castle and included a beautifully decorated stage with flowers, a large wedding cake, and live music.
At around dawn, attendees—many of whom had been recruited through online ads—took their seats, expecting to witness a standard rehearsal.
The ads described the event as a "chic and elegant" production and promised participants €200 each for taking part.
The ad also requested for 100 children between the ages of 5 and 15, along with 200 adults.
The Guests were given the following instructions:
- Wear "very elegant evening outfits" (suits, tuxedos, or evening gowns).
- "Stand up, sit, applaud, and act naturally" during filming.
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| The online Ad |
However, the event took a disturbing turn when the supposed "bride" turned out to be a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl.
According to The Sun News, she was carried to the stage by an adult because she was unable to walk in the oversized wedding dress and four-inch heels taped to her feet.
Witnesses said the child looked scared and confused, which led Disney staff to step in right away.
They quickly contacted the local police department, who arrived and shut down the event immediately.
During the investigation, the groom told French authorities that it wasn’t a real wedding rehearsal but a staged stunt using paid extras.
Disneyland Paris later confirmed they had approved the venue rental based on false information, believing it was for a genuine wedding ceremony.
The park has strict rules against unauthorized filming, which has led to speculation that the organizers intentionally misled staff to get around these rules.
Many attendees were surprised as they had no idea a child would be involved until she came out.
One guest described the moment it all became clear, saying,
"We were all seated, waiting for the rehearsal to begin, when they brought out this little girl. Nobody expected it—people were stunned. Disney acted quickly once they saw what was happening."
The staged event raised serious concerns, especially because it involved a minor in a mock wedding.
Authorities are still unsure about the exact purpose of the production, but they are treating it as part of a larger criminal investigation.
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| The groom waiting for his bride |
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| Souvenirs for the wedding |
The Mastermind Behind the Disturbing Stunt
The man posing as the groom has been identified as Jacky Jhaj, a 39-year-old convicted pedophile from Feltham, UK,
according to The Sun News.
In 2016, Jhaj was convicted in the UK on four counts of sexual activity with two 15-year-old girls and sentenced to four years in prison.
At the time of the Disneyland Paris incident, he was reportedly wanted by British authorities for breaking the conditions of his release, including violating a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and failing to meet the requirements of the Sex Offenders' Register.
Investigations showed that Jhaj allegedly used a fake identity to organize the event.
He claimed to be a Latvian national and provided false documents to book the Sleeping Beauty castle venue privately.
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He reportedly deceived Disneyland Paris by claiming the gathering was a legitimate wedding rehearsal, hiding the fact that it involved a minor.
French investigators described him as the primary organizer, responsible for planning the logistics, hiring extras, and coordinating the staged ceremony.
Jhaj has a history of using his role as a film producer to take advantage of vulnerable people.
Before the Disneyland Paris incident, in October 2023, he organized a major film shoot in London’s Leicester Square, where he came into contact with around 200 children recruited through a casting agency.
Later, in September 2024, he pulled off a publicity stunt using fake explosives and a mock BBC broadcast truck, which caused panic and led to police involvement.
Authorities later confirmed that Jhaj had no real connections to the film industry and had a known history of using scams to support his activities.
The Disneyland Paris event followed the same pattern, with both guests and staff being intentionally misled about what was really happening.
Although Jhaj claimed the event was just for creating social media content, police believe there may have been other motives, especially considering his criminal history and the fact that a child was involved in the fake wedding.
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| Jacky Jhaj |
Arrests and Ongoing Investigation
The primary suspect, Jacky Jhaj, was detained on-site shortly after park staff alerted police.
Authorities also arrested the 41-year-old Ukrainian mother of the nine-year-old girl.
She reportedly told investigators that she thought the event would make her daughter “feel like a princess.”
Two other people, identified as Latvian nationals, were also taken into custody.
One of them, a 55-year-old man, said he was paid €12,000 to act as the bride’s father and claimed he didn’t know the child’s real age until the event took place.
The Public Prosecutor's Office in Meaux confirmed that Jhaj is facing several charges, including fraud, identity theft, money laundering, and breach of trust for using fake documents to book the venue.
Investigators are also looking into financial transactions tied to the event’s €111,000 budget, tracking payments made to extras and vendors.
Forensic teams reviewed surveillance footage from the park and seized electronic devices from all suspects to determine the full scope of planning and communications leading up to the incident.
A medical examination of the child confirmed no signs of physical abuse, though child protection services remain involved.
Prosecutors emphasized the investigation remains active, with particular focus on establishing whether the staged wedding violated any child exploitation laws beyond the confirmed financial crimes.
Due to Jhaj's previous convictions in the UK, French and British authorities are now working together and may begin extradition proceedings once the case in France is resolved.
Investigations are still ongoing and authorities are saying that more charges may be pending.
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