YouTuber Cryaotic Responds to Allegations of Grooming Minors: "It Was All Online"

Prominent gaming YouTuber Ryan "Cryaotic" Terry responded Saturday to allegations that he had groomed several minors with the goal of sexual activity, stopping short of denying the claims.

Twitter user @LadyTiabeanie began the outpouring of allegations the Wednesday before, claiming Cryaotic began a relationship with her in 2011, when she was 16 years old.

"I developed feelings for you and you knew," she said, omitting Cryaotic's name in her post but later confirming he was the person described. "You never discouraged them, just amusingly kept me at arms length for when you felt lonely. On my 18th birthday, things took a turn and I was too blinded by rose colored glasses to see what had actually happened to me."

Cryaotic responded by uploading a video titled "Cry Talks: We stopped being genuine a long time ago." In the video, Cryaotic's voice speaks over a black screen about his own experience, finding purpose through his YouTube channel and hiding behind a persona. He makes few references to the accusations directly, and never mentions any of the victims or their specific stories.

At one point he says he, "cheated on [his] girlfriend with people who [he] didn't realize were even underage in the first place."

In the video's description, Cryaotic clarified that he "was never with anyone underage on a physical level."

"It was all online, but this does not diminish the act - I just know this matters to those who are concerned," he wrote.

LadyTiabeanie responded to Cryaotic's video.

"Y'all keep asking me how I feel about an apology, what apology?" she wrote. "All I hear was self servant whining. I've heard it countless times before, means nothing. There is no forgiveness and in fact I'm pretty fucking angry."

LadyTiabeanie did not respond to a request for comment.

The next day, Cryaotic posted a long Twitter statement describing that video as having been "posted during a manic state, and is not accurate of what a proper apology looks like."

Cryaotic said a future video would address the individuals who had accused him.

"I apologize for my actions, but I promise to deliver a proper, coherent explanation keeping truly factual description with no attempt at garnering sympathy, but addressing what needs to be said when people are hurting."

"Thank you for your patience while I take care of these personal matters in the next few days, and I'll let my actions in the future speak for [me] more than these words here ever will."

Cryaotic did not respond to a request for comment. He was one of more than 70 members of the gaming content creation community to be accused of gender-based discrimination, harassment or sexual assault over the past several days.