Steven Fernandez: Too Young to be Behind Bars

The rise of technology makes it easier for young and promising skateboarders to gain attention. Steven Fernandez comes from a generation that has benefitted greatly from the popularity of YouTube. He has millions of views for his skateboarding videos that showcase his tricks and skills on the skateboarding ramp. Steven also has a sponsorship with the Zumiez clothing line.

Everything seemed to fall into place for this young blood, but his fate began to change in 2015.

Steven Fernandez: Baby Scumbag

Prior to 2015, Steven had a large following of fans. His YouTube channel has almost 700,000 subscribers. At 15, Steven’s ollies and flips were comparable to those made by skateboarders twice his age. Fans would hover around him for autographs and photo ops. Skateboarding fanatics called him “the future of skateboarding.”

However, the life that Steven knew took a turn for the worse.

In November 2015, Steven was arrested for multiple counts of sexual exploitation. Steven, along with his manager Jose Barajas and fellow skateboarder Keelan Dadd, used Steven’s celebrity status to lure a 12 year old girl into a sexual acts.

Steven and his manager were caught in a sting operation, resulting in  their arrest. Steven was released, but has to permanently wear a tracking bracelet on his ankle.

After the incident, Zumiez pulled Steven’s clothing sponsorship.  The comments on Steven’s page began filling up with derogatory remarks. The fans that used to hover around him began to walk away from him.

Steven does, however, still have his skateboarding skills and tricks intact. He began appearing in skateboarding videos again, although, most of his videos no longer focus on his skateboarding talents.

Here’s to hoping that Steven Fernandez can still turn his life around while he has the chance.

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