UK YouTube influencer accused of child sex crimes is set for extradition to Poland after High Court appeal fails

Published: 10:28, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 10:31, 20 July 2026 A British YouTube star accused of grooming underage girls will be sent back to Poland to face trial after his High Court appeal was dismissed. Stuart Kluz-Burton - known online as Stuu - boasted 4.1million followers on his main channel posting videos about Minecraft and comedy sketches. The London-born influencer, whose parents are Polish, is now set to be extradited from the UK to face two offences of sexual activity with girls aged under 15 and two offences of inducing minors to drink alcohol. Dubbed 'Pandoragate' by the Polish media, the allegations came after another influencer posted a video online claiming to have evidence of 'criminal activity' - directly naming Mr Kluz-Burton along with other Polish influencers. The 34-year-old, most recently living in Luton, was initially ordered for extradition by a judge in February last year. Mr Kluz-Burton appealed the decision but has now lost the challenge, with the High Court ruling he will be sent back to Poland. Setting out the background in a joint judgment, Lord Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Johnson said Mr Kluz-Burton was born in the UK and holds dual British-Polish citizenship, but spent most of his life in Britain. He moved to Poland in 2014, where he began his YouTube career, becoming well-known online firstly under the name 'Polish Penguin' and then 'Stuu'. Stuart Kluz-Burton (pictured) - known online as Stuu - boasted 4.1million followers on his main channel posting videos about Minecraft and comedy sketches The 34-year-old, most recently living in Luton, was initially ordered for extradition by a judge in February last year His channels initially focused on videos about the popular game Minecraft and his fame led to a role in the Polish language dubbing of blockbuster 'The Emoji Movie'. Mr Kluz-Burton later withdrew from his online activity and moved back to the UK to support his Luton-based mother, who suffers with cancer. Accusations about the influencer began circulating online around 2023, part of what judges described as a 'wider scandal' in Poland known as 'Pandoragate'. The allegations of sexual activity with girls under 15 relate to an alleged incident in the summer of 2015 with one complainant, and another in August 2018. The alleged offences of inducing a minor to drink alcohol are said to have taken place in August 2018, involving two girls, including the alleged victim of the second sex crime. According to the Polish arrest warrant, the maximum penalty for the offences is 12 years' imprisonment. Mr Kluz-Burton was arrested at his home in October 2023 and after a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court his extradition was approved by a judge. However he challenged the decision arguing there was evidence the Polish judge who initially signed the warrant was under political pressure. Mr Kluz-Burton's arrest by Interpol, the global network which connects police forces across the world, came ten days later - the day before the parliamentary elections in Poland On the same day the allegations were brought to the attention of the Polish prosecutor, then Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki had published a video statement about the wider scandal. In the video he said: 'We heard the story of a man who used his fame achieved on the internet to harm minors. 'These are behaviours of deviants and we will do our best to eradicate it as efficiently as possible.  'I ordered appropriate services to deal with it and I am expecting quick actions in this subject.' Mr Kluz-Burton's arrest by Interpol, the global network which connects police forces across the world, came ten days later - the day before the parliamentary elections in Poland. Considering Mr Kluz-Burton's arguments, the judge said his barrister had claimed the case cannot be treated as an ordinary request arising from ordinary allegations due to the circumstances showing 'real political significance' at the time of the decision of the Polish judge who signed the warrant, Judge Lubowski. Mr Kluz-Burton's lawyers had argued: 'The prosecution was initiated and accelerated in the days immediately preceding a national election, senior executive figures made repeated public statements about the allegations and demanded quick action on bringing a prosecution.' He claimed this meant the extradition arrest warrant was not issued by a 'judicial authority' for the purpose of the Extradition Act 2003. But dismissing his appeal, the High Court judge said: 'The fact is that this is a routine criminal investigation as opposed to an investigation that is inherently political. 'It has achieved a high profile because of the nature of the allegations, their appearance on social media and Mr Kluz-Burton's fame. 'For those reasons it entered social media discourse. That high profile, and the publicity that was given to the allegations and the investigation, meant that there was a need for the court to act quickly. 'The allegations emerged shortly before political elections. Politicians sought to make political capital out of them, but by making statements that were directed at the public, the police and prosecutors, not the court.' The judge said the arguments did not 'provide a basis for suggesting any lack of independence in this case' and rejected Mr Kluz-Burton's appeal. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.