YouTube Star Austin Jones Faces Child Pornography Charges

Austin Jones, a 24-year-old singer whose YouTube videos often attract millions of views, appeared in a Chicago court Tuesday facing child pornography charges, several news outlets report.

Jones is accused of telling two 14-year-old girls on social media to make explicit videos of themselves and pass them on to him, according to a federal complaint cited by The Associated Press.

In an exchange with one of the 14-year-olds, Jones allegedly instructed her to prove that she’s his “biggest fan” and asked her to remove her underwear, the Chicago Tribune reported. He requested that they dance in a sexually suggestive manner and provide images of themselves in “graphic sexual acts,” the Tribune noted, citing the complaint.

Jones, whom police arrested Monday at O’Hare International Airport, is expected to enter a plea at a later court appearance.

He was charged with two felony counts of production of child pornography, meaning he could face at least a 15-year sentence for each count if convicted, the Tribune reported.

Jones’ covers of pop hits and original songs have built him a sizeable teen following, according to reports. He performed some European tour dates last week, his Twitter account indicated.

He faced allegations of impropriety with female fans in 2015 when he was accused of asking them to send videos of them twerking, People reported. He apologized in a YouTube video, explaining that there were no nude videos and no physical contact.