The US Department of Justice announced that a famous content creator confessed to faking a plane crash in 2021 in order to garner views, which could expose him to a harsh punishment of up to 20 years in prison.
On December 24, 2021, celebrity content creator Jacob Trevor posted a video on his YouTube channel, documenting him parachuting off the plane before it crashed.
Cameras installed on the wings of the plane documented his flight, and Trevor initially appeared to fly the plane quietly, and at a certain point it seemed that the plane had a certain problem and could no longer fly, then Jacob jumped using his parachute, while the cameras continued to document the plane collapsing until it hit the ground.
Jacob is then seen stuck in the forest with wounds on his body under difficult conditions, suffering from thirst and walking in rough quarters.
The clip also documented the discovery of the plane, completely crashed as a result of the collision, before Jacob left it to continue his arduous journey out with the forest, where he eventually boarded a car at a stream.
The clip was popular, with more than 3 million users viewing it, and many sympathized with Trevor because of the difficult circumstances he faced.
Jacob's story aroused the suspicions of aviation experts and state authorities, as there was no attempt to contact air traffic control, with many unconvincing points in his story.
Investigations into the incident by specialists and state authorities continued until the California attorney general issued a statement on Thursday saying that Jacob had confessed to lying to investigators about the incident and its details.
Jacob told investigators that he did not know where the wreckage was, while later dismembered it and hid it in squalid places in order to mislead the authorities.
Jacob admitted that he had faked the incident entirely in order to film the clip, garner views and promote a company.
The Federal Aviation Administration revoked Jacob's license in April 2022, and according to the statement, the crime he committed could be punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The incident sparked widespread outrage across US platforms, with tweeters criticizing the exploitation of such a dangerous event in order to increase viewership.
Well. That's the new stupidest thing I've seen a YouTuber do. https://t.co/MfLjIhMh85
— Bob Chipman ✊️ WGA Solidarity (@the_moviebob) May 12, 2023
The prime example of no respect for aviation or pilots who devote their lives to safety and doing the right thing. Throw the book at this guy. https://t.co/V1Zm4ha0pq
— Doug (@doug_auclair) May 12, 2023
How far people are willing to go these days for views 😐 https://t.co/8i4Qn4AJT8
— Mauman (@mauman707) May 12, 2023
Bloggers highlighted a lot of wrong behavior, which some do to get the attention of platforms, which one tweeter described as a widespread disease.
If this is what people are doing, society is going g to crash land just the way this plane did!
What an idiot! https://t.co/sTweybSz7A
— Gautam Govitrikar DMD (@Gautaamm) May 12, 2023
The things people will do for clicks. It's a modern disease. https://t.co/Jd5pG7uo73
— Carl Rackman 📚✈️ (@CarlRackman) May 12, 2023