Charles Dion McDowell, widely known as “Wide Neck” for his 2018 viral mug shot, was taken into custody on February 19, 2025, on serious felony charges. The 37-year-old online star is accused of sending nude videos of a lady whom she is unfamiliar with to her 13-year-old son, 16-year-old daughter, and her mother on different occasions, as shown in a press release by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
Law officials report McDowell sent his cell phones and laptops for dissemination of the nude material, which led to felony charges of non-consensual dissemination of nudity, electronic provision of obscenity material to a juvenile, and harassing calls. The victims have been protected, and there is minimal detail given due to regulations in place in Georgia for juvenile cases. McDowell is being detained on a non-bond status for further investigation.
The arrest is part of a lengthy criminal record for McDowell, whose legal record is years in the making. In November 2018, McDowell was arrested in Florida for fleeing a police officer and possession of meth, cocaine, and marijuana, an event which made his mug shot, taken in a pose that showed his wide, untypical neck, go viral on the Internet. He was subsequently arrested days later in Alabama on a charge of attempting to flee a police officer, driving on a suspended driver’s license, and possession of a controlled substance.
In January 2019, his bail in Florida on drug-related charges was withdrawn, and in November 2022, once again, on a charge of stalking and nonpayment of support. McDowell seized his time in the spotlight as a platform, using it as a launch point for a hip-hop music career and an online fan base, in which he joined online celebrities such as Shrimp Gang. His big personality and size made his face familiar in public, but these new charges amount to a sudden sidetrack down an entirely different kind of trouble.
Sheriff’s officials have not released additional information, citing the ongoing investigation and the sensitivity of the case involving minors. Legal experts suggest that the charges could carry significant penalties if McDowell is convicted, potentially derailing his online career and exposing tensions between his public image as well as his personal conduct.
