John Jefferson
Insets: Corey Pritchett Jr., who is known as CoreySSG on YouTube (Instagram/Law&Crime Network). Background: Interstate 10 in Houston (KHOU/YouTube).
A YouTube star from Texas who fled to Qatar while facing aggravated kidnapping charges for abducting two women and taking them on a wild, high-speed car ride is back in the states and behind bars, according to prosecutors.
Corey Pritchett Jr., 26, of Houston, is accused of threatening the two victims with a gun — allegedly praying with them at one point — before dumping the pair off on the shoulder of the highway and telling them, “This is your only opportunity.”
The popular YouTuber fled to Qatar after the Nov. 24 kidnapping incident, according to his criminal complaint, which was obtained by Law&Crime earlier this month. The victims were found by deputies with the Waller County Sheriff’s Office near a weigh station off Interstate 10 in the Brookshire area after a local resident saw the women walking on the side of the road and called 911.
Pritchett was taken into custody on Jan. 17 and charged with aggravated kidnapping, according to Harris County court records. He was still being held Wednesday on a $100,000 bond, with his next court date set for Thursday.
Pritchett’s financial affidavit shows that he requested the services of a public defender and has reported a monthly income of $0 to go with no listed assets. He describes himself as being a “self-employed” content creator for the past nine years and seven months, according to the affidavit.
On YouTube, Pritchett has over 5 million subscribers across his two channels. One is for his personal videos, @CoreySSG31, and the other is for family posts with his wife and two children, @Pritchettfamily.
He allegedly met his two alleged victims online and then in-person at a Houston-area gym earlier in the day to work out. They went on an ATV outing together with some friends of his and spent time at a local bowling alley, according to Harris County prosecutors, before leaving to go home and ahead of the high-speed car ride.
“Both complainants stated by this point they noticed there was a complete change in behavior in the defendant where he was not the same person as he was earlier that day,” the complaint says. “The defendant then explains to both complainants that he believes someone is after him and that he is accused of setting someone’s car on fire.”
Instead of taking the women home, Pritchett allegedly drove “in the opposite direction” and got onto I-10 going westbound toward San Antonio at a high rate of speed. “Both complainants felt [Pritchett] was easily going over 100 mph,” the complaint says. Pritchett allegedly pulled out a “gold colored handgun” while driving and began waving it out of the sunroof of the vehicle and firing it while also threatening the women, prosecutors say.
“Both complainants state that they try to calm the defendant by telling him to pray together in which he agrees to do so and leads the prayer but continues to drive westbound on I-10 at a big rate of speed,” the complaint alleges.
At one point, Pritchett allegedly told the women, “I’m going to f— y’all and then kill y’all,” before changing his mind and letting them go, per the complaint.
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As a famous YouTuber, Pritchett is known for posting comedic videos, music and lifestyle VLOGs. He has been very vocal about his current situation and charges since being arrested, with him making posts about it on his Instagram earlier this month before deleting his page.
“LETTER TO THE INTERNET it’s finna be a BALL,” Pritchett wrote in a Jan. 4 Instagram post. “You see it say ACCUSED right.”
In a Jan. 5 Instagram post, Pritchett said: “United States … I’m on the way. I have a meeting with Houston.”
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