Former YouTube star gets 10 years in prison for child porn conviction

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - Former YouTube sensation Austin Jones was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to receiving child pornography.

The 26-year-old artist from west suburban Bloomingdale was charged in 2017 with enticing several underage girls, some as young as 14, to send him explicit videos of themselves, according to the U.S. State’s Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois. Jones was arrested at O’Hare Airport upon returning from an international tour.

Prosecutors for the attorney’s office laid out how Jones solicited lewd photos and videos from 14- and 15-year-old girls between August 2016 and May 2017 through Facebook Messenger.

On several occasions Jones allegedly told the girls that he was giving them a “modeling opportunity” that required them to strip for him, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said six girls, all 14 or 15 at the time, sent Jones 66 lewd photos and videos at his instruction.

Jones allegedly tried to solicit lewd photos and videos from approximately 30 other girls before he was arrested, prosecutors said.

After his arrest, Jones admitted requesting and receiving videos from the victims, and he admitted it was for sexual pleasure, according to a criminal complaint.