Kick streamer hit with major fine after carving offensive message into US landmark
Streamers are often known for their wild antics, desperately in search of that one viral clip that sends viewers flooding their way, but one creator has learned that not every bit of publicity is legal after being hit with a major fine.
It's not quite enough in the live streaming world these days to be charismatic or good at what you do, as with a market as saturated as it is right now, you often have to do something bold or unique that makes you stand out from the crowd.
For the bigger streamers, this can amount to wild month-long blockbuster-esque 'streamathons' or bizarre anti-content sleeping streams, but for those trying to climb the ladder, you have to get a bit more creative - and sometimes a bit more risque.
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Some resort to torturing themselves with donation-triggered water drips or harassing homeless people, but one streamer decided to vandalize a major US monument live on air, and it's landed him in trouble with the law.
As reported by Dexerto, Kick streamer Thanh Cong Ngo, otherwise known by his online alias "CrazyTawn", decided to engrave 'KICK.COM' into national landmark Horseshoe Bend while on a trip to the Grand Canyon earlier this year.
The carving was described as being 36 inches long, 6 inches tall, and 0.25 inches deep, and there couldn't be better proof that CrazyTawn was the artist himself as he streamed it all live on the very platform he was promoting.
An anonymous tipster reported Ngo's actions, which resulted in a National Park Service Ranger confronting him regarding his actions, which was also part of the same live stream.
CrazyTawn admitted that he "did not know it was illegal" to carve into the landmark's sandstone surface, as there were multiple other instances of similar vandalism in the area. Unfortunately for him, he was the only one caught in the act.
Locations like Horseshoe Bend are protected by federal archaeology and historic preservation laws, and Ngo was at risk of a year in prison alongside a fine of up to $100,000, but he managed to get off lightly after appearing in court on Friday, April 25.
"Even the judge was like, 'what the f*** is this?', the judge in there was looking at me like 'bro I'm sorry you're going through this, I know there were other carvings on there but you were live streaming this so we have to make you pay a fine'," Ngo revealed in a follow-up stream after his court appearance.
With recent reports of popular streamers facing multiple years in prison, with some claiming that they were being 'made an example of' with harsher punishment, Ngo should count himself lucky that the judge settled on a fine of just $350 - just 0.35% of the maximum penalty he could have faced.
Ngo also added that it "was hella funny the way the judge was interacting with me," and revealed that he actually gained a sponsor as a result of his wild publicity stunt, earning himself anywhere between $30 to $50,000. There is no such thing as bad publicity after all.