American Idol contestant Brandon Cox sentenced to 70 years in jail

An American Idol contestant who was fast-tracked through the competition after his audition has been jailed for 70 years for possession of images of child sexual abuse.

Brandon Cox, 26, who appeared on the 2012 series of the US talent show, was this week found guilty of seven counts of possessing obscene material featuring children under the age of 17.

The prosecuting team said they would be asking for the maximum sentence, as each count carries a potential 10-year sentence.

Some 157 videos and images of child sexual abuse were found on his computer, the court heard.

Cox had been given a Golden Ticket during his audition performance in front of the American Idol judges Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, meaning he would be flown straight to Hollywood for the next round of auditions.

He was eventually eliminated in the group round, telling reporters later: “I just really enjoyed singing with everyone there and connecting with people.

“We all just had a really good time together. Even when the cameras stopped rolling, we didn’t.”

Cox had previously also auditioned for The X Factor , The Voice and America’s Got Talent before he was accepted onto American Idol.

The prosecutor asked him at the time: “How did 157 videos of child porn get on that thumb drive?”

He replied: “I’ve never seen child pornography, I’ve never searched for child pornography.”

The prosecutor responded: “Mr Cox, you did not answer my question. How did those 157 videos get on your thumb drive?”