Lovin’ Spoonful band mamber Jerry Yester has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography – with the veteran rocker reportedly telling authorities that he had been hooked on the perverted scenes “since 2000!” The sickening confession has finally put an end to the 75-year-old musician’s career, where he first found fame as a folkie with The New Christy Minstrels. He then joined the Spoonful after playing piano on “Do You Believe In Magic.” Yester had been arrested in Arkansas in Oct. 2017 on 30 counts of possession of child pornography, and had originally been released on a $35,000 bond. His plea deal in Boone County Circuit Court had him admitting to eight counts of “distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct” involving a child. Agents with the Arkansas Cyber Crimes Unit said that Yester (at far left in the group photo) had downloaded over 60 files of illicit material over the summer of 2017, including photos of naked girls between the age of 10 and 12 years old…
1 of 2
Photo credit: Getty/Files
Yester joined The Lovin' Spoonful in 1968 after keyboardist Zal Yanovsky had been fired for turning into a police informant after being busted during a drug deal. Yester's arrest put a temporary end to the Spoonful's tour dates, with founding members Joe Butler and Steve Boone quickly releasing a statement about their longtime bandmate.
2 of 2
Photo credit: Getty Images
"We are as numbed and shocked as the public is about these serious charges that have been brought against [Yester]," they said — with Yester then fired from the band. Yester had also enjoyed a solo career, and worked regularly as a producer. A collection of his work from the 1970s had been released in the same month that he was arrested. He remains out on his bond, and is set to be sentenced on Dec. 21.
Yester joined The Lovin' Spoonful in 1968 after keyboardist Zal Yanovsky had been fired for turning into a police informant after being busted during a drug deal. Yester's arrest put a temporary end to the Spoonful's tour dates, with founding members Joe Butler and Steve Boone quickly releasing a statement about their longtime bandmate.
Photo credit: Getty/Files
"We are as numbed and shocked as the public is about these serious charges that have been brought against [Yester]," they said — with Yester then fired from the band. Yester had also enjoyed a solo career, and worked regularly as a producer. A collection of his work from the 1970s had been released in the same month that he was arrested. He remains out on his bond, and is set to be sentenced on Dec. 21.
Photo credit: Getty Images
