CHICAGO – A teen YouTube sensation Austin Jones pleaded guilty to coercing six young girls into sending him sexually explicit photos, reported FOX News.
The plea was entered seven months after Jones, 26, was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport upon returning from an international tour. As a result, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines, although that is unlikely.
Jones, of Bloomington, Ill., was initially charged with two counts of production of child pornography.
Prosecutors said the musician solicited lewd photos and videos from 14- and 15-year-old girls from August 2016 to May 2017 through Facebook. Moreover, the youth sensation tried to solicit photos and videos from 30 other girls before he was arrested, authorizes believe.
Jones admitted requesting and receiving videos, FOX 32 in Chicago reported. He allegedly told the victims that he was giving them modeling opportunities that required them to strip for him.
After his arrest, Jones admitted requesting and receiving videos from the victims, and he admitted it was for sexual pleasure, according to the complaint.
He is scheduled to be sentenced May 3 and will be allowed to remain out of custody to continue his therapy prior to his incarceration.
Jones’ music is described online as “earnest, emo-influenced melodic pop music.” the Chicago Sun-Times reported. His primary fan base appears to be “teenage girls,” prosecutors said. He has approximately 500,000 subscribers to his YouTube page.