**Trigger Warning** Murder mention and sexual assault mention. I will not link to the video as Pepper receives revenue for its views, but please be cautious as the video is a murder prank. There is also discussion about Pepper’s sexual abuse history.

To understand the nuances of Sam Pepper’s YouTube channel appropriately, it’s necessary to take a trip back in time. Pepper uploaded his first video in September 2010, around the time when he was competing on the U.K.’s version of “Big Brother.” His videos gained traction about two years later when him and many other popular British YouTube vloggers, such as PointlessBlog and JacksGap, began collaborating. Pepper’s content has always ranged from “fake news,” “interviews,” and his ever controversial “prank” videos.

The prank videos Pepper did while he lived in the U.K. were seemingly harmless in comparison to his newest content. At that point, his videos were averaging close to one million views. Today, its decreased significantly to around 300,000 views. When Pepper moved to Los Angeles (a popular destination for creators getting serious about their YouTube career), his videos began adding more “shock factor.” On YouTube and other corners of the Internet, there is a concept known as the “WTF Factor,” which helps videos go viral. Pepper began utilizing this once his channel grew.

In September 2014, Pepper posted a video entitled “Fake Hand Ass Pinch Prank,” where he approached random girls on the street wearing a fake hand and pinching their bottoms without their consent. Later he posted two subsequent videos claiming the prank was a “social experiment.” However, many previous partners of Pepper began posting videos about how he had sexually abused them. Pepper’s lawyer denied the allegations later that month.

Fast forward a year later, and Pepper has once again turned a triggering, abusive situation into something lighthearted. His newest video starring the Vine duo Sam Golbach and Colby Brock, entitled “Killing Best Friend Prank,” details an abduction of Brock (who was in on the prank) and convinces Golbach he is watching his best friend get murdered. The most unsettling part came at the end when Golbach exclaimed, “That was crazy!” as if the video wasn’t being uploaded to the Internet for more than two million people. “Make sure you subscribe for more pranks!” they say at the end.

Much of the YouTube community was displeased with Pepper’s video. There was even a petition to remove his channel.

Abuse unfortunately is not a new concept on YouTube. All of 2014 was spent exposing frequent offenders such as Alex Day (nerimon), Mike Lombardo (MikeLombardoMusic), and Jason Viohni (VeeOneEye). Sam Pepper’s allegations aided in the exploitation of other YouTubers. You can read more about YouTube’s sexual abuse scandals here.

Both creators and fans have congregated against Sam Pepper. The aforementioned petition, which currently has nearly 200,000 signatures, called for YouTube to not only remove the video, but also remove Pepper’s entire channel. Many creators tweeted out the petition to their followers.

YouTube’s community guidelines states in reference to violent or graphic content, “It's not okay to post violent or gory content that's primarily intended to be shocking, sensational, or disrespectful. If posting graphic content in a news or documentary context, please be mindful to provide enough information to help people understand what's going on in the video. Don't encourage others to commit specific acts of violence.”

Pepper is also violating the community guideline in reference to harmful or dangerous content, which states: “Don't post videos that encourage others to do things that might cause them to get badly hurt, especially kids. Videos showing such harmful or dangerous acts may get age-restricted or removed depending on their severity.”

YouTube has always been a platform for free expression, much like the rights granted under the First Amendment. However, just like the First Amendment, there are still restrictions to help minimize harm when producing content. With the site’s unfortunate history of sexual abuse--to which Pepper has contributed--that does not provide a get out of jail free card for other forms of abuse. The overwhelming response from the YouTube community is a reminder why harm to others diminishes comedic value. Also, Pepper is crying wolf by labelling abusive content as a “prank.”

So far, there has been no comment from YouTube regarding Pepper’s video; the video is also still up on his channel. More information on the petition may be found here.