Michigan Man Facing 20 Years in Prison for YouTube Video
The title of this article might sound crazy, but there are plenty of things you could do in a YouTube video that would be worthy of a lengthy stint in prison, like abusing animals or vandalizing property or professing your love for Nickelback. All of those acts are morally reprehensible and committing them to video is just begging for jail time. But this isn’t that kind of YouTube video.
A Michigan man named Evan Emory is facing 20 years in prison after posting a video featuring him singing a sexually explicit song to a group of school children in their classroom. That certainly sounds scandalous enough, especially after you have a look at some of the lyrics…
“See how long it takes to make your panties mine”
“I’ll add some foreplay in just to make it fun”
“I want you to suck on my testes until I spurt in your face”
“I’ll lick on your chewie”
“I want to stick my index finger in your anus”
“I’ll be the bus riding your ass up and down my town”
“I’m gonna use my sausage to make fettucine, then for dessert have a Harry Houdini”
Yikes! It’s easy to see why charges might be filed against a person who pulled a stunt like that. But here’s the rub, Emory didn’t actually sing those lyrics to the kids in the video. The video is just the result of some crafty editing work.
Evan Emory did, in fact, sing for a group of assembled kids, but he sang a perfectly harmless kids song which, by all accounts, the kids loved. It wasn’t until later that, as a joke, he edited the video to make it look like he was singing the sexually explicit lyrics.
As you would expect, school administrators weren’t amused after word of the explicit video got back to them. Even less impressed was Muskegon County Prosecutor Tony Tague, who had Evan Emory arrested and charged with manufacturing child sexual abusive material. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Before we go any further, let us go on record as saying that what Evan Emory did was indeed a horrible idea and an incredible display of poor taste and judgement. That said, it’s hardly an act worthy of a 20-year prison sentence, especially when you consider that it took place in Michigan. Call us crazy, but Michigan strikes us as a state with bigger fish to fry than making sure a 21-year-old YouTube jokester rots for what amounts to a bad joke. They do realize Detroit is in Michigan, right? How about spending some cash to build that rusty heap of scrap metal up a bit instead of wasting it on frivolous prosecutions like this?
We’re not the only ones who feel this is all a bit ridiculous. There’s even a “Free Evan Emory” Facebook page dedicated to the case. Click here to check it out. And for the record, we didn’t post the video because, naturally, it’s been pulled from YouTube.
What do you, the readers, think about this? Should Evan Emory rot in prison and be branded a pedophile for his crime, or is Michigan blowing this way out of proportion? Let us know in the comments section below and we might include your sage wisdom in our next installment of This Week In TSJ History.
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“Michigan Man Facing 20 Years in Prison for YouTube Video”
10:22 am on February 21st, 2011
First off – this guy is a complete idiot.
However – since he did not actually sing the offensive words in front of a classroom of kids – he cannot be prosecuted for doing so. If put under oath – the teacher who was present during the song would testify that he did in fact not sing anything offensive.
Sounds like Mr. Tague is trying to make a name for himself at the expense of a 21 year old kid who made a horribly bad joke.
10:32 am on February 21st, 2011
@Andrew – Apparently there’s a clause in the law they’re using to prosecute him that says the children don’t actually have to be present for it to be considered a crime.
I still think this shit is ridiculous though. I could see slapping the guy with a fine and probation or something. But prison time and a lifetime on the sex registry is pushing it.
11:33 am on February 21st, 2011
only in America
1:23 pm on February 21st, 2011
this guy just entered a world of pain and he deserves more then 20 years in jail just so he can be made an example of. after reading those lyrics there is noting funny to me about them and its; in my book aimed at kids…. I hope Evan meets lots of people like me in jail but I think the cops will keep him in the snitch and bit@! section. I have no heart for those who try to poisen the kids they are our future
4:31 pm on February 21st, 2011
Rod Serling is alive and well and filming in MI! Obviously one of his better Twilight Zone episodes. Too crazy to be real…..
11:37 pm on February 21st, 2011
If this is the case, there’s a lot of big name celebs that should be in jail. Some for just making a movie.
So, this means everything on TV is REAL? And what about TSA feeling out children and making child porn? That’s different some how?
11:44 am on February 22nd, 2011
Did “G” happen to notice that there are no kids reading or listening to the gentleman’s lyrics or songs? Evan is not having the dastardly and evil influence ascribed to him in what is a passionate and perhaps contradictory advocacy of abuse and implied rape. Curious, by the way, is that in that diatribe for what “G” believes to be justice, he insults as snitches and bitches (it’s okay to spell out the word)those who provide evidence against criminals.
10:10 am on February 23rd, 2011
this basterd piece of shit chopped kids in his wack video? are you kidding me thats what the kids gonna see when they grow up themselfs in a room with some stupid piece of shit singing his corny wack song???I dont belive im God and I dont belive in sending people to jail but im not protesting this one… Give him the AX judge
10:23 am on February 23rd, 2011
Anti those who provide evidence against criminals are witness’s
Sntichs and Bit#@$ are criminals who rat on eachother and child melesters or sexual assualt people like rapists
11:31 pm on February 27th, 2011
G, you’re a fucking idiot. This man made a horrible joke in poor taste. He didn’t molest or groom any children. No children heard anything sexual at anytime. As for finding this video…do you really think its going to remain around? I really don’t think so, not for the time it takes to get back to them.
As for my personal opinion…I feel that Mr. Emory doesn’t deserve jail time for what he did. His speech was offensive but no children were ever actually involved in the crime. I say we try him in the court of public opinion instead. If the public truly finds this man’s actions reprehensible, let his career as a comedian plummet, let his personal life fall into shambles as his social circle shrinks, let his ass never find gainful employment in the state of Michigan. The 1st Amendment protects you from censorship and legal penalty for your words, it doesn’t protect you from the consequences of your actions.