HARRISON (KFSM) — Former Lovin’ Spoonful musician Jerry Yester, best known for playing piano on the band’s 1960s hit “Do You Believe In Magic,” has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
Yester, 74, reached a plea deal Friday (Oct. 5) in Boone County Circuit Court, admitting to eight counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.
Yester is free on a $35,000 bond, but he’s due back in court Dec. 21 for a sentencing hearing. His trial was set to start Monday (Oct. 8).
Agents with the state Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Unit arrested Yester in October 2017 after linking the illegal material to his home.
Agents said they established a direct connection with a computer at Yester’s home in Harrison, where more than 60 files of child pornography were uploaded to the Internet between July 2017 and August 2017.
Investigators said the images included nude girls between 10 and 12 years old, according to court documents.
Yester later called the agents and said he’d been looking at child pornography since 2000.
Yester added that he had downloaded more explicit material than he previously told investigators, according to the documents.
He initially faced 30 counts of possessing child pornography, a Class C felony.
In Arkansas, Class C felonies are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
