I was a teen mum then moved 800 miles for my ‘trafficker’ boyfriend, 48 – my mum disowned me when I fell pregnant again

AS JAY McCormick toasts her husband over a posh dinner she’s all too aware of the whispers and stares from fellow diners. “He must be rich,” says one while another table openly laughs at the pair. But Jay pays them no mind. Matthew might be almost 30 years her senior but they both know that age is just a number. She met her 49-year-old hubby on Plenty of Fish and moved across the country to move in with him the same day they met in the flesh.

They were engaged just two weeks later. Jay says: “I didn’t set out for an older man, and Matthew didn’t set out for a younger person. It just happened. “We want to encourage other age-gap couples to never be ashamed and not to let any criticism stop you from being happy.”. In August 2023, Jay was 19 years old when she was living in South Dakota and made a profile on the popular dating website.

She says: “Despite only being 19, I was in the middle of a divorce. “Mum, and my family, were devout Christians, not allowed to cut their hair and only wearing long gowns to cover their bodies. “I fell pregnant with my partner, and my family wouldn’t allow me to live in ‘sin.’ I was pressured into marriage. “The situation ended up unhealthy and we split. But we were still living together until I found a new place.

“So when I made my dating profile that day I hoped I’d find the right person for me. I was still eager to find love again. “At first I had disgusting sexual messages, and unsolicited penis pics. I ignored every creep.”. The next day, stranger, Matthew, messaged Jay through the website, calling her beautiful. He lived 800 miles away, in a village in Oklahoma, and owned a farm. Jay says: “Looking at his profile, I saw a much older man who looked decades older.

“For a moment, I worried he wanted to be my sugar daddy, or that he wasn’t real. “But we got chatting and he was really kind and sincere. He told me he was 48 and I told him I was 19. “I also said I was two months pregnant, and planning a divorce. He was incredibly caring. “Every day, he set an alarm to remind me to take my pre-natal meds, and put on my stretch mark cream. “We spoke for hours on end each night. I was smitten.”.

The mysterious stranger across the country had stolen Jay’s heart and she fell in love. The pair became a couple, despite their 30-year-age gap and having never met. The next month, Jay moved out of her ex-boyfriend’s home and into a hotel. Matthew then set off for a 2-day car drive across the U.S to meet Jay in South Dakota. Jay says: “I got very nervous. I thought, what if he’s a catfish? Or if he was dangerous.

“I knew what a scary world the internet was. But as he pulled up outside in his truck I ran over to him and hugged him tight. “My worries melted away and we kissed passionately. It felt like we’d known each-other a lifetime. Taking a leap and risking everything for Matthew was scary. But it was the best decision of my life. “Right away, we went to my hotel room. We talked for hours, before deciding I’d return home with him.

“I packed two small suitcases and two bags. Then Matthew and I left my life behind and hit the road. “I settled in at his home and loved it there. But later that week, I suffered a miscarriage. I was heartbroken but Matthew was incredible and took work off to care for me. “Taking a leap and risking everything for Matthew was scary. But it was the best decision of my life.”. Sadly Jay was diagnosed with PCOS and Asherman syndrome, a condition where scar tissue formed inside her uterus.

She let her ex know they’d lost the baby, and two weeks after moving in, Matthew proposed to her at home. Jay says: “It was the happiest moment of my life. Although my divorce wasn’t complete, I wanted Matthew to be mine forever. “His family were amazing and welcomed me in with open arms. His mum even helped me plan the wedding. “But Matthew’s two children, in their mid 20s, were estranged from him. He hadn’t seen or heard from them in years.

“Not long after, my mum blocked me on everything after she found out. Whilst the rest of my family, including my 13 siblings, blocked and disowned me as well. “They agreed that I’d gone against the church. I was cut off. It hurt deeply, but deep down I knew I deserved better. “After two months together, Matthew and I fell pregnant with twins. We were so shocked as Matthew’s vasectomy he’d had 10 years before had naturally reversed.

“I then received a letter through the post from my mum too. She wrote that I’d put shame on her and the church. “She said I was making the biggest mistake of my life marrying Matthew and that she’d never approve. “I realised then that she and my family only cared about their reputation, not my happiness. I scrunched up the piece of paper and threw it in the bin.”. Sadly the disapproval of Jay and Matthew’s relationship didn’t stop there. They began receiving cruel taunts from strangers and locals.