The glittering world of Berlin’s drag scene has been plunged into turmoil following revelations that one of its most celebrated figures, Jurassica Parka, is under investigation for the alleged possession and distribution of child sexual-abuse material.
The 46-year-old performer, born Mario Olszinski, whose flamboyant persona has long been a staple at “queer” events and progressive political galas, was the subject of a police raid in July.
Last week, Parka posted a video on Instagram explaining that the case is ongoing: “There is an investigation into an alleged online offence,” “she” said, without providing any further details on the allegations.
Parka talked about a long-standing addiction and a period of “complete loss of control” and announced her retirement from public performance.
Berlin police, acting on a warrant from the city’s public prosecutor’s office, searched Parka’s Schöneberg apartment looking for child abuse material.
Officers seized electronic devices for forensic examination after a tip from the US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which flagged the entertainer’s IP address as linked to suspected child pornography access and storage.
A prosecutor’s office spokesman confirmed the operation targeted allegations of “dissemination and possession of child pornography content” but stressed that no charges have been filed yet.
“The evaluation of the seized evidence continues,” the spokesman told Berliner Zeitung. “The search is to find evidence and the investigation will show whether the current suspicion is confirmed – or not.”
Prosecutors declined further comment.
Exclusive reporting by queer magazine Siegessäule has uncovered that Parka was convicted in 2023 on charges of “dissemination, acquisition and possession of child pornographic writings”.
Sentencing was in favour of the defendant since Parka was “repentant and confessed, it was a spontaneous act and the act was already some time ago”, Siegessäule reported, quoting the Tiergarten district court in Berlin.
The prosecutor’s office told the magazine that “Mario O” was accused of having “uploaded or distributed files with child pornographic content on a social network on 24.11.2021”.
In reaction to the scandal, the podcast Parka and Schlönzke, which Parka hosted together with drag colleague Margot Schlönzke, was taken offline.
Parka was also removed from the popular Berlin-based Nollendorfkiez Tour, also called Regenbogenkiez or Motzstraßenkiez. It is known for its upmarket flats and queer community.
“I have completely stopped working with Jurassica Parka until the allegations are completely investigated,” Schlönzke said.
Sven Ihlenfeld, managing director of famed BKA Theatre, where Parka regularly performed, told Siegessäule: “We are horrified and shocked. Nevertheless, the presumption of innocence applies. That means to me that there must be no rash condemnation before we know more.
“Should the suspicion be true, this is shocking and especially devastating for the children affected by abuse,” said Gudrun Fertig, managing mirector of Special Media SDL, the publisher of Siegessäule.
“I’m also concerned about the consequences for the community. In particular, that this case is instrumentalised by right-wing forces in order to discredit queer culture in a blanket manner,” she added.
Colleague “Nina Queer” told Berliner Kurier she feared a “smear campaign” dragging all drag artists, trans people, and gay men into disrepute: “One case like this pulls everyone into the muck,” she said.
Parka has hosted the long-running talk show Paillette geht immer at BKA Theatre for more than a decade, drawing guests from leftist politicians to media stars such as satirist and journalist Jan Böhmermann.
She has also organised the popular “Popkicker” party series at the SchwuZ club since 2012 and performed as a DJ across Europe.
In 2021, she was appointed “Queer Berlin Ambassador”, a role that saw her championing diversity initiatives alongside the city’s tourism board.
Many events where Parka was present, including a so-called “reading hour” for children, received taxpayer funding.
Last year, the German Embassy in Japan invited Parka to Tokyo for Christopher Street Day.
Parka campaigned for the Socialist Party during elections and shared red-carpet moments with former Berlin mayor Franziska Giffey, now economy senator.
Conservative US account “Libs of TikTok” yesterday on X posted: “The thing that never happens just happened again.”
Behind the sequins, Parka has openly discussed battles with addiction, describing in a 2015 interview how cross-dressing served as an outlet for “releasing energy” amid childhood urges to don women’s clothes.
"Der Perverse und sein Bürgermeister", ein widerliches Deutsches Trauerspiel direkt aus der Hauptstadt!
Die tatsächlich entscheidende Frage ist: Wurde der Perverse trotz oder wegen seiner bereits seit 2023 bekannten pädophilen Neigungen gefördert. Ein Skandal wäre beides!… pic.twitter.com/Q1THYP7oml
— Martin Reichardt, MdB (@M_Reichardt_AfD) October 23, 2025
