Prank Video Causes Comedian To Face 20 Year Prison Sentence

Evan Daniel Emory created a prank video that made it appear he was singing sexually explicit lyrics to a room full of first graders. His video trickery has landed him in hot water with the criminal police State.

He is not being charged with video-taping minors without consent, he is being charged with manufacturing child porn. The Michigan statute being applied makes it a crime to manufacture sexually abusive material with children, “but also has a provision for those who make it appear that the children were actually abused.”

So even though no children were actually harmed and no children actually heard his foul lyrics, Michigan tax payers are about to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars prosecuting and possibly imprisoning a man for harming and abusing children over a prank YouTube video in which no children were actually harmed.

Of course, Emory isn’t the first person to create such prank videos.

(Example: YouTube: "Man Show Boy Tries To Get Laid")

Such prank videos are common in society, and some even use REAL children to pull off the pranks.

No matter what you may think about the morality of what Emory did, is it right that the state of Michigan should hold a gun to tax payers heads and force them all to pay for the prosecution of an individual that harmed no one by his actions?

What about the First Amendment? What about natural rights?

The reaction of the morality police in this instance seems wayyyyyyyyyyy over the top to me.

story:
www.mlive.com...

If you want to have your fun and put out funny videos fill your boots, just make sure there aren't kids in it dummy. I wonder why people are so protective of their kids? I can tell you why, with all the child molesters etc, we tend to lose of sense of humor when it comes to our kids. Next time use your head and stay out of jail.

reply to post by mnemeth1


This seems wrong to me, it seems that this would be his freedom of expression.
Oh well, live like a cowboy.

reply to post by willie9696


there were no kids in the room when he sang the lyrics.

I thought I was clear on that.

The guy seems like a sicko but probably not bad enough to be behind bars. I mean it's not like he's feeling up 3 year olds at the airport under the disguise of a war on terrorism. Now that's perversion.

That's "the law" for you. No consideration, no thought, no context, just a machine set to punish.

It's like "the law" is just some robot milling about society following orders.

There's no justice in this system. Just scapegoating and punishing.

He's a comedian! No kids heard the lyrics, they were not harmed. It was funny. I don't think this should even be an issue.

Originally posted by mnemeth1
reply to post by willie9696

 

there were no kids in the room when he sang the lyrics.

I thought I was clear on that.

Yes I understand that, would you want your child on youtube in this type of setting? No one is saying he did anything other than use really really poor judgement. I don't think there was any malice there just stupidity.

Originally posted by willie9696

Originally posted by mnemeth1
reply to post by willie9696

 

there were no kids in the room when he sang the lyrics.

I thought I was clear on that.

Yes I understand that, would you want your child on youtube in this type of setting? No one is saying he did anything other than use really really poor judgement. I don't think there was any malice there just stupidity.

Not wanting your child in the video can be remedied by a civil suit for liable.

Do you really think 20 years in prison paid for at your expense is justified in this situation?

You are defending the State's actions here?

reply to post by willie9696


I see no poor judgement though, i would have probably watched said video and flew the ROFLCOPTER.
This is a view on comedy and nothing more in my eyes.
Some folks don't like Britt comedy as it is too dry and some die laughing at it.
It is all perspective, and if no BODY was harmed i see no foul.

reply to post by mnemeth1


Knowing the grandson of the owner of the Detroit Red Wings, Ronnie Illitch, he has told me many outrageous laws in Michigan and he actually just told me about this comedian possibly facing 20 years for something so stupid. Michigan in general needs to stop over reacting to videos such as these. Even Daniel Tosh has done videos like that (the video with the closet falling on the girl) and you see him now, he's still here!

Originally posted by mnemeth1

Originally posted by willie9696

Originally posted by mnemeth1
reply to post by willie9696

 

there were no kids in the room when he sang the lyrics.

I thought I was clear on that.

Yes I understand that, would you want your child on youtube in this type of setting? No one is saying he did anything other than use really really poor judgement. I don't think there was any malice there just stupidity.

Not wanting your child in the video can be remedied by a civil suit for liable.

Do you really think 20 years in prison paid for at your expense is justified in this situation?

You are defending the State's actions here?

edit on 17-2-2011 by mnemeth1 because: (no reason given)

If you think from what I said that I'm condoning a 20 year sentence for this guy then maybe you're reading a little too much between the lines. Should he go to jail?No. Even his own mother is probably wondering what he was thinking. Just saying think before you act, he's young though hopefully he learned his lesson and he doesn't receive any jail time and they can drop this. If they put everyone in jail for being stupid there would be a lot of jobs in the penal system.

If this man is convicted, then a lot of Hollywood producers and directors are gonna be in trouble if they film a movie in Michigan. What about "Taxi Driver?" I just watched a true story movie on Lifetime, can't remember the name, but it was more than suggestive of molestation of minors.

I'm sure that you ATSers can remember a lot of movies or cop shows that are pretty explicit as to child abuse and molestation, done to "educate" society.

Just because this guy's video was tongue in cheeck........He's facing jail time.

reply to post by willie9696


What's the lesson he's supposed to learn exactly?

That everything you think is funny is going to get you tossed in jail?
That going about your shtick in a perfectly harmless way can cost you 20 years in prison?
That he should just spend his time watching TV with the curtains pulled because at any minute SWAT could kick in his door and drag him off for doing something he didnt even know he did?

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
reply to post by willie9696

 

What's the lesson he's supposed to learn exactly?

That everything you think is funny is going to get you tossed in jail?
That going about your shtick in a perfectly harmless way can cost you 20 years in prison?
That he should just spend his time watching TV with the curtains pulled because at any minute SWAT could kick in his door and drag him off for doing something he didnt even know he did?

What he has learned and I'm sure he won't forget is people aren't very humorous when it comes to kids and stuff like this. The problem isn't that the kids didn't hear the song, the problem is the portrayal that they did. Do you think simulated child porn is ok as long as the kids aren't hurt?

reply to post by willie9696


Calling this child porn is a ridiculous stretch. Personally, I dont think "simulated child porn" is okay. But using law to go after something that didnt really happen is like using law to go after people for having unpopular thoughts. As it is the law goes way to far. Im certainly not about to give "the law" license to bash heads for thoughts.

Originally posted by mnemeth1

Originally posted by willie9696

Originally posted by mnemeth1
reply to post by willie9696

 

there were no kids in the room when he sang the lyrics.

I thought I was clear on that.

Yes I understand that, would you want your child on youtube in this type of setting? No one is saying he did anything other than use really really poor judgement. I don't think there was any malice there just stupidity.

Not wanting your child in the video can be remedied by a civil suit for liable.

Do you really think 20 years in prison paid for at your expense is justified in this situation?

You are defending the State's actions here?

edit on 17-2-2011 by mnemeth1 because: (no reason given)

Exactly if the parents are all bent out of shape call Judge Judy. No way this guy gets convicted once he shows a jury the evidence.

I have a level of sympathy for this person but this is why you have lawyers. Get your script reviewed before doing something crazy.

Sometimes people think just because it's the net the rules don't apply. There are plenty of laws that prevent certain films and media going to certain territories before release and this person should have got familiar with the law before producing controversial content.

I'm not sure I understand this? 20 years for "faking" child porn, a crime that hurt nobody. Possible 20 year sentence? There are a lot of molesters and porn makers that use real children, and they really get hurt... They are out in 10-15? What is wrong with this world?

'pranked', starring ashton kucher, featured an event which had a young boy saying sexually charged remarks and propositions to an unsuspecting female starlet. The boy's dad asked the starlet if she'd pose with his young son, while dad retrieved his camera. During the wait, the young man began a crusade of sexual inuendoes at the starlet. Eventually, as part of the spoof, dad would return with the son, and try to press charges on the starlet for the salted remarks dad had caught wind of.

Interestingly, ashton kucher made money on the pornographic content, apparently, and the show aired on the telescreen in front of millions of innocent kids, some of them scarred for life....I believe it was on a channel all have access to, young and old alike, the TV guide channel. and during after school hours. Why no charges here?