A TikToker has been arrested after allegedly scaring women on the London Underground and posting the footage online, without consent.
The influencer, who goes by “j1comedybackup” or “Unclej1”, shared a series of videos in which he can be seen quietly sitting on a Tube train before suddenly shouting and breaking into song, often startling fellow passengers.
Some clips show him targeting elderly women and those simply minding their own business, leaving them visibly shaken. He has more than 7,000 followers and nearly 300,000 likes on TikTok.
Although he attempts to play it off by chatting with the victims afterwards, the videos sparked outrage online. When the clips went viral on Friday, British Transport Police Chief Superintendent Chris Casey wrote on X: “This is not acceptable. We’ve launched an investigation.”
In a post on Saturday, the TikToker claimed he “wasn’t trying to harm anyone” saying: “I’ve just seen everything online, I’m just letting you lot know I was joking. I was literally just trying to be funny. I’ve done something that other content creators do. I was just trying to be funny.”
Other videos on his account show him approaching strangers, often young girls or elderly women, and asking if they find him attractive. While he has since deleted his most controversial clips, his account remains active.
The British Transport Police confirmed that he was arrested on Sunday under the Public Order Act 1986, which criminalises behaviour that causes harassment, alarm, or distress in public. The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison or a fine, or both.
Despite the TikToker’s insistence that it was all a joke, people have warned of the potential dangers: “So what happens if he scares someone with a pacemaker? He could have shocked someone to death. You don’t know everyone’s mental or physical health conditions.”
The transport police said they are appealing for victims and witnesses to come forward following “a spate of distressing incidents on the London Underground”.
A spokesperson said: “Officers investigating a series of distressing incidents where a man appears to scare lone females while sitting next to them on tube trains have made an arrest. The videos have been widely shared on social media and officers are now appealing to victims and witnesses to come forward.
“If you have any information that can assist this investigation please text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 2500129554. Clips are a great start, but witnesses help us build context, confirm timelines, and support potential prosecutions. CCTV doesn’t always tell the full story – people do.”
