When you visit Walt Disney World, the magic seems to completely envelop you and all the worries of the real world vanish. It seems that nothing bad can happen at The Most Magical Place on Earth. Unfortunately, sometimes real-world issues invade this happy space. Such was the case when the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced that they had arrested four Walt Disney World Cast Members. The Cast Members were arrested as part of an undercover operation called “Operation March Sadness 2.”
During a press conference, the Sheriff’s office announced that one of the 108 men that were arrested was 27-year-old Xavier Jackson. Jackson is from Kissimmee — a city about 20 minutes from Disney — and works at the . According to the Sheriff’s report, Jackson was arrested for sending sexual images and text messages to a girl he thought was only 14-years-old.
“The arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators alone makes this whole operation worthwhile. The on-line prostitution industry enables traffickers and victimizes those who are being trafficked. Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and find and arrest those who are profiting from the exploitation of human beings. Johns fuel the trafficking and victimization. Where there is prostitution, there is exploitation, disease, dysfunction, and broken families.”
27-year old Xavier Jackson of Kissimmee communicated online and via text with an undercover detective posing as a 14-year old girl. During the communication, Jackson sent sexual images and graphic descriptions of what he wanted to do. A warrant was obtained for Jackson for Transmission of Material Harmful to a Minor (3-counts, F3) and Unlawful Use of 2-Way Communication Device (F3).
What shocked Sheriff Grady Judd the most was the fact that Jackson was around young children all the time. Jackson worked at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort as a lifeguard at the Resort’s swimming pools. The Sheriff said:
Did I mention that he just happens to be a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort for Disney? You think there’s a few children around there? That’s right. I didn’t stutter. He was a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort for Disney and was bragging about that.
In addition to Xavier Jackson, three other Walt Disney World Cast Members were arrested in the sting. Based on the Sheriff’s report, it appears that those Cast Members were only arrested for soliciting prostitution and were not suspected of communicating with underage girls.
This is not the first time that a Disney World Cast Member has been arrested in such stings. Back in August 2021, three Disney World Cast Members were arrested in a child predator sting also performed by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Disney has not commented on the arrests at this time.