4 Married at First Sight Australia stars with criminal charges against them - and why they were arrested

When singles across Australia sign up for Married at First Sight, they are hoping for love. Whether they find it or not, however, one thing is certain - their faces then become known across the country.

Unfortunately, some contestants then end being more infamous then famous because once people know their names and faces their criminal pasts are revealed. Or, in some cases they end up getting in trouble with the police after their reality show stint.

Here are the four MAFS Aus contestants who have had brushes with the law - and the reasons why.

Timothy Smith

Timothy Smith, age 52, who appeared as a groom on season 11 of the hit reality dating show last year, caused controversy when he appeared on MAFS as it was revealed he’s a convicted drug smuggler who previously served a year-long sentence in a US prison.

He was caught using a helicopter to smuggle large amounts of marijuana from Canada into the United States in 2006. He was jailed, and during his prison sentence both his mum and his younger brother died. During the show, viewers saw Smith speak about how the loss of his mum and brother had impacted him, but he did not reveal that in had been in jail when they passed.

Smith revealed his criminal past in an interview with Australia’s A Current Affair, and said that he did not tell MAFS producers about his conviction. He said: "I'm sorry for what I did. I'm sorry to everyone I hurt. But I don't want anyone to do what I did. That decision in 2006 keeps affecting me. Unfortunately or fortunately it shapes who I am today."

"If I could go back and change it, I would. There's no question I'd change it. I wasn't there when my mother and brother died. I paid the price. I pay the price everyday," he added.

Christopher Mark Jensen

Christopher Mark Jensen, also 36, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in August 2022, the year after he met and married a stranger of the eighth series of MAFS Australia.

Jensen was handed a suspended four-year jail sentence at Queensland Supreme Court after pleading guilty to four charges, including two counts of supplying a dangerous drug and one count of trafficking a dangerous drug.

The reality star had actually been arrested before his time in the MAFS experiment, however, back in October 2017 during a Queensland Police operation targeting drug trafficking. At that time, police found cannabis at his home and a large amount of money.

Jensen bought wholesale quantities of largely cannabis and on occasion cocaine and MDMA, and sold them to his own customer base at Peregian Springs over four months, the court heard. Using an encrypted messaging app with suppliers and customers, he received eight supplies of cannabis from June to October 2017 ranging from 450 grams to seven kilograms to sell. He was arrested in October 2017 when a police search of his Sunshine Coast home found 197g of cannabis and $5800 in cash.

He been on bail since, allowing him to appear in MAFS in 2021. Jensen then finally appeared in court on the charges relating to what happened in October 2017 in August 2022.

Justice Paul Freeburn said when sentencing Jensen: "I would ordinarily impose a custodial case for this type of serious offending (but) in my view this is an exceptional case,” according to the Australian Associated Press and as reported by Digital Spy.

“You were arrested on these charges four years and 10 months ago. Just why it took these charges so long to come to the court is a mystery. I am told various events that occurred ... none of those explain the extraordinary delay.”

Sebastian Guilhaus

Sebastian Guilhaus, 36, was charged with drug trafficking after police said they seized $90,000 worth of meth during a raid at his home in July 2023. The MAFS groom, who appeared on season seven of the show in 2020, was arrested by the Serious and Organised Crime Branch detectives at his Adelaide home.

Officers allegedly seized almost 1kg of methamphetamine, with a street value worth at least $90,000. Detective Superintendent Billy Thompson, the officer in charge of the bust, described the 870g of meth found as "significant".

He pleaded not guilty to trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug in South Australia's District Court. He was placed on bail under home detention and was reportedly headed to trial in October 2024, according to Daily Mail Australia, but it’s not clear what has happened to the disgraced star since.

Telverne Williams

2018 groom Telv Williams pleaded guilty to assaulting a man during a violent street fight, as reported by Daily Mail Australia.

The 39-year-old, known as Telverne Onus at the time, was charged with five offences over the November 20 2002, fight in Portland, Victoria, when he was 18 years old. The fight began when the victim heard an argument between his fiancée and an associate of Williams's outside his house and went to investigate, a court heard.

The Portland Local Court heard the victim was knocked to the ground by a group and was punched and kicked by Williams and others. Court documents said Williams was charged with two counts of assault in company, and one each of assault by kicking, unlawful assault and affray.

The season five star pleaded guilty to one count of assault in company and received a 12-month good behaviour bond and a $200 fine. No conviction was recorded and the other charges were dropped.