Who is YouTuber ProJared, did he cheat on his wife with Heidi O’Ferrall, and what is the underage sex abuse scandal he’s involved in?
ProJared has been accused of forcing underage fans to send him nude photos
YOUTUBER ProJared has been accused of forcing underage fans to send him nude photos.
But that isn’t all he has been accused of. Here’s what we know.
Who is Youtuber ProJared?
Jared Knabenauer, who is also known as ProJared, is a well-known gaming Youtuber who reviews video games and gadgets.
The 33-year-old has more than one million subscribers.
He started his YouTube channel in 2013 and his channel’s net worth is said to be £105,000 ($138,000).
Knabenbauer's channel was described as a place for “all of your gaming video needs” and includes “hilarious retro reviews, videos on the newest releases and comedic play-throughs”.
The YouTuber is married to popular cosplayer Heidi O’Ferrall and on May 9 she accused him of cheating.
Knabenauer has not uploaded a video to his account since late December 2018.
What are the allegations against the YouTuber?
On May 9, Heidi accused Knabenauer of cheating in a lengthy Twitter thread.
She also alleged that interactions with some fans included sending and receiving nudes via a SnapChat account and Tumblr page.
Heidi said the Tumblr page was originally meant to be a “body-positive space for consenting adults”” and said it has escalated beyond that.
Heidi made claims over Twitter that Knabenbauer "had absolute financial and social control over me" and felt "powerless by comparison".
She also revealed she had been "brutally betrayed" by her husband after finding out about an alleged affair he was having with a fellow cosplayer name Holly Conrad.
What happened after?
Following Heidi’s accusations, a flurry of followers came out with their own allegations.
The YouTuber is alleged to have sent unsolicited, sexually explicit photos and asked for photos in return over a period of years.
One fan, who goes by the name of Chai, claims Knabenbauer knew he was underage when he requested nude photos and “spoke sexually” to him at the age of 16.
In a statement posted to Twitter on Friday, Chai alleges that Knabenbauer sent him an explicit “d**k pic,” and that he publicly posted one of the underage photos sent by Chai.
Chai said: “I sent him many actual, real nudes … He knew I was 16.”
The former fan said Knabenbauer knew that he “was a big fan, and that I was underage, and still wanted to talk sexually to me. He made me feel special and wanted.”
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How was ProJared responded?
NormalBoots, the creator collective Knabenbauer belongs to, told The Verge in a statement that it was first tipped off about the allegations in early April and has since agreed to mutually part ways.
A statement reads: “On April 4, 2019, an unsolicited e-mail was sent to the NormalBoots business account containing allegations of inappropriate conduct pertaining to Jared Knabenbauer.”
Knabenbauer has made a public response, saying that people “may see a lot of rumors, speculation, and gossip going around. I ask that you make your own observations and come to your own conclusions.”