Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame. Until they don’t. This is never more true than when someone has worked hard to make a name for themselves in the public eye, only to have that celebrity status blow up in their face when they’re caught doing something illegal and gross. In the case of Austin Jones, a rising YouTube ‘celebrity’ who was recently charged with child pornography, his millions of fans and followers are now more of a burden than a boon.
Jones, the 24-year-old self-made internet pop star is famous for his a cappella covers of famous pop songs, was subject to a similar controversy several years ago, but nothing ever came of that. In 2015 he was accused of asking young female fans to send him videos of them “twerking” while wearing cheerleader uniforms.
The controversy surrounding those accusations died down after Jones posted a tearful video online during which he cried and expressed remorse for his choices. The clip, entitled “setting the record straight” showed Jones weeping and apologizing to his fans. “It’s not something that I’m proud of, it’s not something that I think is right, and I shouldn’t have done it.” he said. No charges were brought, and the issue was swept aside.
However, while Jones was off touring the world with several other online music stars, an investigation was unfolding in his home state of Illinois. As a result, he was arrested at the airport, shortly after returning to the US from his international tour. According to the criminal complaint, Austin is accused of coercing several underaged girls to send him sexually explicit videos in order to ‘prove’ that they were his ‘biggest fans.’
The contact between Jones and the girls started on Facebook
According to the criminal complaint, filed by Joel Levin, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, it all started with Jones chatting to girls on Facebook. It states in the complaint that Jones “used Facebook and Apple’s iMessage service to request and receive videos depicting the genitalia of minor females, knowing that they were only 14 or 15 years old.” How did he know they were underaged, you wonder? Because their age was repeatedly discussed in their messages with Jones.
The charges allege that Jones received 15 videos from one underage girl, 10 of which included her exposing herself. The other alleged victim sent him 25 video recordings of herself, eight of which included sexually explicit content. Jones is said to have referred to the videos as ‘tryouts’ and ‘opportunities’ where the girls were working to prove their devotion to him. He claimed that he would be rating their efforts.
During one of the dialogues with one girl, Jones is alleged to have told her that she was so lucky to potentially have her favorite singer spank her, and that he would consider allowing her to perform oral sex on him. In written instructions to the victim, whom he was coaching through the videos, he told her to “Bounce again and smile at the camera while you bounce. And while you bounce, say ‘I’m only 14’ three times throughout the video!”
Jones has been charged with two counts of Producing Child Pornography. Each count could result in up to 15 years in a federal prison. Federal statutes, which are the same throughout the country, treat child pornography as a very serious crime. In Michigan, residents are often prosecuted for child pornography crimes under federal law because federal penalties are more harsh than our Michigan laws. So if you or a loved one have been accused of producing or possessing child pornography, contact us immediately at 866 766 5245. This cannot wait! Your future and your freedom are at stake here!