A young man spent time in jail after he edited a video in a way that he thought was funny, but not everyone was laughing. INSIDE EDITION has the story.
He's the young guitar player who found himself handcuffed and shackled, charged with an ugly crime.
It all began when Evan Emory sang a children's song at a first grade elementary school in suburban Michigan.
Emory says he played a funny song for the kids. Then, after the all kids left, Emory sang a song filled with sexually explicit lyrics that he usually performs for adults-only audiences.
The 21-year-old then edited the video to make it seem as if the children were present for the raunchy song and posted it on YouTube.
"Half the country thought I was a child molester and a pedophile. I never had plans to become some YouTube star off this," said Emory.
"I didn't realize how much hurt this was going to bring my whole community," said Emory.
But the video ignited a firestorm in the small town. Emory's friends rallied around him.
"He is the most harmless guy I ever met in my life," said one friend.
But parents of the students in the video were outraged.
"It was vile. It was sexual. He should be on the sexual offender list," said one parent.
Emory was arrested and charged with a felony count of manufacturing child pornography. He faced twenty years in prison and would have to register as a sex offender.
"I was scared. I thought I was never going to leave jail and I would never hug my mom again," said Emory.
In court this week, with parents of the schoolchildren looking on, Emory accepted a plea. He pled to a lesser felony and will spend time in jail but won't have to register as a sex offender. He says he's also learned a valuable lesson:
"There's nothing funny about mixing children with sexually explicit material," said Emory.
Emory is out of jail and was placed on probation for two years.
