Man pleads guilty in fabricated video case

RAVENNA, Mich., March 15 (UPI) -- A Michigan man who posted an Internet video that made it appear he was singing a pornographic song to first-graders pleaded guilty to a reduced felony count.

In the fabricated video on YouTube, Evan Daniel Emory, 21, intercut footage of himself singing a sexually graphic song with closeup images of the children seeming to react to the lyrics, The Muskegon Chronicle reported.

Emory, originally charged with manufacturing child pornography, pleaded guilty Monday to a reduced charge of unlawful posting of an Internet message with aggravating circumstances.

The plea deal calls for Emory to serve 60 days in jail, two years of probation and 200 hours of community service.

Emory, an aspiring musician, has said he meant the video as a piece of humor.

A parent of a child in the video said his daughter had been teased at school and had suffered emotional trauma as a result.

"I was extremely outraged," Stephen Hellman of Ravenna said. "My daughter came home crying because she was recognized."

He was unhappy with the plea deal, he said.

"It's just not right," he said. "Sixty days in jail? Mr. Emory knew what he was doing. Where's his morals? He has none after doing this."

Some parents said they accepted the plea agreement.

"I feel that as much justice as can be done was done," Chuck Willick said. "It's hard to justify what he did to our children. But as a parent, (I know) kids make mistakes. I understand this. ... Hopefully he's learned from this."