YouTube sensation Austin Jones was arrested from his suburban Chicago home on Monday on charges of production of child pornography. He was held on two counts of production of child pornography involving his female fans.
Jones is in federal custody with a bond hearing on Wednesday. The 24-year-old YouTuber and singer is accused of using Facebook and iMessage to pressurise his teenage female fans to send explicit videos. According to Chicago Sun Times, he asked his female fans to prove that they are his biggest fans. The victims are said to be 14 and 15 years old.
Also Read: Meet Mastanamma the 106-year-old YouTube cooking sensation
A criminal complaint filed against Jones reveal that he asked his young fans to expose themselves. In May, one of the girls made videos with the help of Facebook. She told him that she was tired of doing what he asked, but he asked her to "work really hard," Chicago Sun Times reported.
According to the complaint, the victim sent him 15 videos that included 10 videos of her exposing herself. Another victim sent him 25 videos in August 2016 to prove that she was his biggest fan. Out of the 25 videos, eight videos exposed her genitals.
This is not the first time the YouTube sensation has been accused of asking inappropriate favours from fans.
Here are five facts you need to know about Jones, when he shot to fame and the previous accusations.
Jones was accused of asking inappropriate videos from female fans in 2015
The 24-year-old YouTuber was involved in a similar controversy in 2015 when he asked his underage female fans to send twerking videos. One of his fans in her testimony revealed that the singer asked her to twerk in "short shorts and a tank top" because he loved it. He also gave her his iMessage and sent a video that showed him twerking.
Jones addressed the accusations on Facebook
The YouTuber in a Facebook post said that he never asked them to make such videos. "Here's the truth: I NEVER asked them to do anything more than send a twerking video. Nothing EVER went beyond that."
"To those who have and will continue to support me, please know I never meant to let you down and I am doing everything I can–with the help of my family and friends–to pick myself back up and be a better person. Thanks for believing in me. Please be good to each other and we'll see each other soon," he said.
Petition against Jones to throw him out off the Vans Warped Tour
In 2015, a petition to remove him from the Vans Warped Tour had gone viral. The petition was started after reports of him taking advantage of his female fans surfaced online. He was later removed from the tour.
"Austin Jones is now taking advantage of his fame. On numerous accounts, he has pressured girls as young as 13 into sending him videos of them twerking. As a 15-year-old girl, I find this disgusting," the petition read.
Minimum 15 years in prison if convicted
If convicted of both the counts, Jones might be sentenced to minimum 15 years in prison. The judgment whether he will remain in the federal custody will come out on Wednesday. Prosecutors have said that they will oppose his release.
About Jones
Jones started songwriting in 2010. He shot to fame because of his six-second videos on Vine that helped him gain millions of followers on Vine and YouTube. He is also known for his cover of the Rihanna single Stay.
