Emory gets jail in YouTube case

MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) - His lawyer painted Evan Emory as a young man who showed poor judgment -- a person ready and willing to make it right.

"He's one of the few clients that I've ever had, and maybe the only one ever that said, I want to do more than make an apology. I want to make amends," defense attorney Terry Nolan said.

But Emory's detractors, including parents and the prosecutor, suggest Emory hasn't taken the case seriously.

His demeanor in court as he waited for the sentencing to begin seemed to back up their case.

As Emory talked his lawyer, prior to the proceedings, he pointed out an attractive woman to Nolan and smiled at her.

The prosecutor brought up a radio interview from last month in which Emory joked with the host about getting a $1-a-day job, so the court would order work release during his expected 60-day sentence.

The judge gave Emory work release, noting he has a real job with a Norton Shores company.

But still, he will have to serve 60 days in jail, two years of probation, 200 hours of community service and was ordered to stay away from public places where children hang out, such as parks, playgrounds and pools.

Emory's legal problems began with the now-infamous video he made after conning his way into an unsuspecting teacher's classroom at Beechnau Elementary, in Ravenna, and taped himself singing. The video shows the first-graders' reactions to the kid-friendly song he performed.

When the children left, he taped a song with explicit lyrics, and later edited the kids' reaction into a video of that song.

Parents of some of those children spoke during Emory's sentencing.

"An innocence was taken. It's something we as parent try so hard to keep," said Charles Willick, whose daughter was in the video.

Some, such as Willick, agree with the sentence.

Others wanted more.

"You've hurt everyone in the community," Stephen Hellman said. "Not just these little kids."

Nolan told the court 60 days is a just punishment.

"He's gladly doing the 60 days, and for anybody out there that thinks that 60 days isn't enough in jail, invite them to go spend one night in jail," Nolan said.

Emory also was ordered to participate in a conciliation program, in which he'll meet with parents of the children in the video to discuss the effect it had.