YouTuber could face 15 years in prison after faking a bomb scare

A YouTube prankster has been arrested after faking a bomb scare at a shopping centre.

YouTube has served as a home for pranksters for years now, racking up millions of views, but sometimes they go too far. And this prank is no exception.

Joshua Jones, a 37-year-old YouTuber, is now potentially facing up to 15 years in prison after making a bomb threat at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Metairie. His excuse? It was just a prank.

After creating a bomb scare at the shopping centre, he told authorities he was intending to film the reactions of those around him and post it to his YouTube channel.

Reports from Nola.com say Jones entered the mall wearing a ski mask and carrying a black bag. He then placed the bag in the food court, before proceeding to tell a person nearby that the bag contained a bomb.

The sheriff's office was then notified and deputies arrived at the scene, where they realised Jones was recording the interaction on his cellphone. The 37-year-old was the arrested and admitted to the bomb being a fake.

"Incidents like this are a prime example of how social media platforms can be misused," Sgt. Brandon Veal, a spokesperson for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.

"The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office takes all threats against public safety seriously," Veal said. "Individuals found responsible will be held accountable."

As well as bomb threat charges, Jones also faces a count of false communications with the intent of causing an emergency response.

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