Mr Crafty Pants , a popular YouTube star arrested for Child Pornography

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – The Norton Commons man charged with possession and distribution of child pornography is a popular social media influencer.

A source close to the investigation has confirmed to WAVE News that Michael David Booth goes by Mr. Crafty Pants on the internet. Most of his work focuses on arts and crafts tutorials using smart cutting machines.

Booth has a huge online following with more than half a million YouTube subscribers, and more than 250,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram combined.

Booth’s arrest report states police started their investigation in August when an account on the social media app Kik was reported as one sharing child porn images. The arrest report reveals that a subpoena linked the account to Booth’s residence.

According to investigators, three files depicting minors under the age of 12 and three files depicting minors over the age of 12 but younger than 18 were linked to Booth. The arrest report states that those files were distributed more than 15 times.

Laura Nash lives across the street from Booth. She said she moved to the area because of what it provided for her family.

“It’s a great family-friendly neighborhood,” she mentioned. “It feels safe for the kids.”

But Nash said that safety felt shattered on Wednesday when several police cars showed up to Booth’s home. While she said she never met Booth, she added she was shocked to learn the reason for the heavy police presence

“It feels like a gut punch,” she said. “It makes you feel really vulnerable. It’s terrifying, as a mom, to hear about something like this. It just makes you realize that you’re not safe anywhere.”

Nash told WAVE News she immediately asked her children if they had ever interacted with Booth, but they hadn’t. She said this has been a wake-up call for her community to remain vigilant.

“It’s scary to think what he could have had access to,” she pointed out. “I know that he followed a bunch of my friends online, so it’s worrying to me to wonder what he may have been viewing of their life. It’s an eye-opener for sure.”

Booth appeared in court on Thursday. The judge issued a $100,000 bond. If Booth were to post bond, he would be placed on home incarceration and won’t be allowed any access to the internet.

Booth is due back in court on October 31.

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