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A former criminal who achieved viral fame thanks to his mugshot has opened up about the dark reality behind the saga. Jeremy Meeks, a former gangster from Washington State who was allegedly a member of the North Side Gangster Crips, shot to fame in 2014 when his now-infamous mugshot went viral.

At the age of 18, Jeremywas charged with robbery and assault; he accepted a plea deal and received a two-year sentence, but would ultimately be behind bars for nine years.

In June 2014, he was charged again, this time with firearm possession and resisting arrest, leading to a two-year stint in jail before his release from Mendota Federal Correctional Institution in March 2016.

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It would be this arrest that would serve as the catalyst for his fame, as the police’sdecision to post his mugshot on Facebook soon led to public attention, earning him the moniker of "world's hottest felon".

Upon release, Jeremy rode this newfound fame into a career as a fashionmodel, a role he reportedly still works in to this day. Now 42, Jeremy appears to be something of a reformed character.

He wrote a memoir called Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks, and has participated in charity work, helping young people steer clear of crime and gang involvement.

Jeremy recently discussed the mugshot's impact on the Inside True Crime podcast. He said: "I would say on the third day, that's when just... floods and floods of letters from all over the world. I was probably getting 300 letters a day."

Jeremy admitted that he was unfamiliar with social media at the time, but soon realised its impact when he saw his photo on TV and began receiving what was described as "naked pictures" and "money orders".

As seemingly positive as the attention appeared to be, there was a more sinister side to fame. He alleged: "Then the hate came from the correction officers, you know, because it's a state case, and in state, there now can be press in the courtroom."

He continued: "In state, every time I went into the courtroom, there was 100 reporters and everyone was fighting each other for better angles and the judge is screaming. And it was like a zoo in there. And, like, I had been to court 100 times and it was never like this."

Jeremy went on to allege that correctional officers were "beating the s**t" out of him after his rise to fame, and he was "angry" with them.

In terms of fellow lags, however, Jeremy claimed that he didn't face any problems.

Another "frustrating" issue also emerged, he further claimed, revealing that people he didn't know would attempt to visit him while he was locked up, stripping him of valuable time he could have ultimately used for his family.