CHICAGO — A musician from a west suburb of Chicago was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison for enticing several underage girls, some as young as 14 years old, to produce sexually explicit videos of themselves.

AUSTIN JONES, 26, of Bloomingdale, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of receipt of child pornography.  U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee imposed the sentence after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The Illinois Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Bloomingdale Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

“Production and receipt of child pornography are extraordinarily serious offenses that threaten the safety of our children and communities,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Neff Welsh argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Jones’s actions took something from his victims and their families that they will never be able to get back.”

“Today’s sentencing of Austin Jones represents a major step towards justice for the young victims whom he manipulated and exploited,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Gibbons.  “HSI is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society, our children, from predators who abuse their trust.”

Jones is a musician with a significant following on social media, including Facebook and YouTube.  His online music videos have been viewed millions of times. 

Jones admitted in a plea agreement that in 2016 and 2017 he chatted with six underage girls on Facebook and enticed them to produce pornographic videos of themselves and send them to him.  Jones told some of his victims to send him the videos as a way to “prove” they were his biggest fans.  He also told some of his victims that the videos were part of a modeling opportunity, and that he could assist them in gaining followers on Instagram.

In addition to the six victims who sent videos, Jones further admitted in the plea agreement that he used Facebook on approximately 30 other occasions to attempt to persuade minor girls to send him sexually explicit videos and photographs.

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.  The hotlines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

CHICAGO — A west suburban musician pleaded guilty today to a federal child pornography charge and admitted enticing several underage girls, many as young as 14 years old, to produce sexually explicit videos of themselves.

AUSTIN JONES, 26, of Bloomingdale, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.  He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years.  U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee conditionally accepted the guilty plea and set sentencing for May 3, 2019, at 1:30 p.m.

The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  The Illinois Attorney General’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Bloomingdale Police Department provided assistance in the investigation.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Neff Welsh.

Jones is a musician with a significant following on social media, including Facebook and YouTube.  His online music videos have been viewed millions of times. 

Jones admitted in a plea agreement that in 2016 and 2017 he chatted with six underage girls on Facebook and enticed them to produce pornographic videos of themselves and send them to him.  Jones told some of his victims to send him the videos as a way to “prove” that they were his biggest fans, the plea agreement states.  He also told some of his victims that the videos were part of a modeling opportunity, and that he could assist them in gaining followers on the social media site Instagram, the plea agreement states.

In addition to the six victims whom he enticed to send videos, Jones further admitted in the plea agreement that he used Facebook on approximately 30 other occasions to attempt to persuade minor girls to send him sexually explicit videos and photographs.    

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.  The hotlines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

CHICAGO — Federal authorities have arrested a west suburban musician for allegedly enticing underage girls to produce sexually explicit videos of themselves.

AUSTIN JONES, 24, of Bloomingdale, chatted with two underage girls on Facebook and enticed them to produce pornographic videos of themselves and send them to him, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in federal court in Chicago. Jones is a musician with a significant following on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the complaint states. His music videos have been viewed millions of times on the Internet, including on YouTube, the complaint states.

The complaint charges Jones with two counts of producing child pornography. Jones was arrested on Monday at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. He made his initial court appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason. Judge Mason ordered Jones to remain in federal custody until a detention hearing on June 14, 2017, at 2:30 p.m.

The complaint was announced by Joel R. Levin, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and James M. Gibbons, special agent-in-charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Bloomingdale Police Department participated in the investigation.

According to the complaint, Jones chatted with one victim in August 2016, and with the other victim last month. The victim from last August stated in a Facebook chat with Jones that she was his biggest fan, the complaint states. Jones repeatedly told her that she was “lucky” to have his attention, and that she needed to “prove” that she was his biggest fan by producing the sexually explicit videos and sending them to him, the complaint states.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Each count of production of child pornography is punishable by a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

HSI led the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Neff Welsh.

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. The hotlines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.