YouTuber iFireMonkey addresses accusations that he sent sexually explicit messages to minors years younger than him when he was 17

iFireMonkey, also known as Ricky Owens, is a prominent YouTuber and content creator known for his in-depth coverage of Fortnite. Recently, the YouTuber found himself in controversy after allegations of him sending sexually explicit messages to minors surfaced online. He was 17 years of age when these messages were sent.

The YouTuber specializes in providing updates, leaks, and news related to the game, often sharing insider information about upcoming events, skins, patches, and other game features. His content is highly valued by the Fortnite community for its timely and detailed nature.

iFireMonkey first responded on his personal account @_FireMonkey, on X, where he stated that the sexually explicit content he shared came from an immature mind and couldn't be considered as evidence:

"...Weird topics but at the same time it was me when I was a minor just talking about edgy topics and honestly it's hardly evidence of anything."

The original response iFireMonkey made from his personal account on August 6, 2024 (Image via _FireMonkey/X)

He went on to mention that he was also unaware of the ages of the individuals he was sharing these messages with:

"Talking about the images themselves, I was 17 years old and making edgy jokes, because of me being a minor I never thought about trying to find out the ages of people I was joking around with, and I was just saying stupid sh*t to say stupid sh*t."

iFireMonkey issued a more formal apology on his main X account, @iFireMonkey, where he takes accountability for his jokes:

"The jokes were very stupid to have made and I regret having made them."

A more formal apology was issued on the YouTuber's main X account, later in the day (Image via iFireMonkey/X)

The YouTuber also apologized to anyone who might've been affected by his actions:

"To those that were in these chats when I made those type of comments, I apologize for putting you into an awkward/uncomfortable position with the topic."

iFireMonkey then went on to say that he would personally be taking some time off to reflect upon his actions.

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X reacts to the iFireMonkey situation

Although iFireMonkey did receive some negative reactions, many fans of the YouTuber came forth and showed him support.

User @Nathancookz talks about cancel culture and claims that jokes like these do not warrant such backlash:

"Dude f**k cancel culture. Don’t bend the knee to these losers [who] have no lives. All you did was make jokes, that doesn’t warrant being canceled or looked down upon."

@CraftyPlaysLF reinforced the idea of denouncing cancel culture:

"I promise, we really don’t care man. Stop giving the 'cancel culture' kids the time of day. If you didn’t do anything wrong, you don’t need to put out a statement."

Others, like @Iam_Ad_Min, encouraged the YouTuber to take some time off from social media:

"Dude it's ok, take your time to relax your mind. We all do wrong, realising the mistakes and coming out of it is good thing. Don't [be] hard on yourself."

Overall, the majority of iFireMonkey's community showed support for him, with many hoping that the YouTuber will make a speedy comeback.

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