Wild Wedgie Spree Lands YouTube User in Jail

Charles Ross allegedly went on a wedgie spree Sunday night and likely intended to put the video on his YouTube page. But his subsequent arrest put a damper on those plans.

Police in Florida were tipped off to Ross' obnoxious behavior when a male victim told them Ross had grabbed the back of his pants and pulled them up none too gently. You might have had to put up with that in middle school but in the real world, that's battery.

The man who reported the crime wasn't the only victim that night. But he was the only one brave enough to press charges, so he'll see Ross in court.

Charles Ross' YouTube channel shows him accosting and harassing people as well as doing embarrassing things, like wearing a diaper, in an attempt to gain subscribers, reports The Smoking Gun.

The problem for Ross is that harassing people can be a crime if you bother them enough. If you actually touch your victims, that's a whole new problem.

Under most state criminal codes, battery is any unwanted or harmful contact with a victim. That can include throwing things or physical contact, like giving a wedgie. If the victim reports it to police, charges may be filed.

Ross, 18, may have bet on the fact that his victims would be too embarrassed or at least unwilling to take the time to report him to police. But if that's the case, he made a bad bet because it only takes one person for prosecutors to make a case.

Officials charged Ross with misdemeanor battery, reports Gawker, meaning the potential punishment is less serious. If the charge was a felony, he might be facing a harsher sentence.

Pranks may seem funny to you, but if you threaten, intimidate, or hurt others you might have to answer to the law. Just because other people get away with it, doesn't mean you will too.

That's a lesson Charles Ross should have learned after his alleged wedgie spree. He posted $750 for bail and is scheduled to be back in court on Valentine's Day.

Related Resources:

• Have you been the victim of a prank? Talk to a lawyer about what to do next (FindLaw)
• Can Prank Calls Get You Arrested? (FindLaw's Blotter)
• 'Russian Hitman Prank' Gets Prankster Arrested (FindLaw's Legally Weird)