A popular YouTuber specializing in arts and crafts content has been charged with almost 30 counts of possessing and trading child pornography.
Michael David Booth, 39, who went by the online handle “Mr. Crafty Pants,” was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, on Wednesday.
Booth’s YouTube channel, which featured DIY crafts and tutorials, had amassed nearly 500,000 subscribers before it was taken down following his arrest.
The influencer also had accounts on Instagram and Facebook, boasting hundreds of thousands of followers. His Instagram bio described him as a “hot mess by nature…crafty by choice,” while his content often appealed to children, families, and creative hobbyists.
The case against Booth began in August when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip about child pornography being shared via a Kik messaging account. Authorities linked the account to Booth through IP addresses logged by the app.
Kik is popular among younger users for its anonymous registration that doesn’t require a phone or email, and has faced scrutiny for facilitating crime because of this. However, it retains traceable data, such as IP logs.
Investigators identified six explicit files, three depicting children under 12 and three involving minors aged 12 to 18. These files were reportedly distributed more than 15 times.
Breitbart News reports, “On the day of his arrest, Booth had just posted himself on Instagram unboxing an unidentified product — literally shedding tears of excitement as his small dog sat on his lap.”
In another creepy detail, Booth had a Halloween sign outside his home that read, “I Smell Children,” at the time of his arrest.
Neighbor Laura Nash told local station KY3 that she was shocked by his arrest, and that she had moved there specifically because it is a “great family-friendly neighborhood.”
“It makes you feel really vulnerable,” Nash said. “It’s terrifying, as a mom, to hear about something like this. It just makes you realize that you’re not safe anywhere.”
Booth appeared in court on Thursday, where a judge set his bond at $100,000, ordering home incarceration and prohibiting any internet access.
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