Former CNN Producer Pleads Guilty To Brining Child To Another State For Sex Crimes
John Griffin.
Dec. 13 2022, Published 12:42 p.m. ET
A former CNN television producer pleaded guilty to using interstate commerce to coax a 9-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity at his Vermont ski home, Radar has learned.
John Griffin, 45, of Stamford, Connecticut, worked for CNN for eight years before being fired following his arrest. As part of the plea deal, two counts of enticement of a minor were dropped.
According to court documents, Griffin met a woman online in the summer of 2020 and persuaded her to bring her 9-year-old daughter to his Ludlow, Vermont, ski home for illegal sexual activity. The documents state that Griffin paid for the woman and girl t fly from Nevada to Boston. He then picked them up and drove them to the Vermont home, where he sexually assaulted the child.
Griffin's arrest came on Dec. 10, 2021, after he was indicted by a grand jury. He pleaded not guilty to three counts before deciding to plead guilty. He faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2023, according to NBC Connecticut.
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Between April and July 2020, Griffin used a messaging application to communicate with people who were the parents of minor girls. Griffin made comments such as a “woman is a woman regardless of her age,” according to prosecutors.
He tried to persuade a mother of 9- and 13-year-old girls to be trained to be sexually submissive, prosecutors said. He even wired $3,000 to a woman for plane tickets so the mom and the 9-year-old could travel to his Vermont house.
Griffin also must pay full restitution to the victims and faces a fine of up to $250,000 and other fees. He has already against to forfeit a Tesla vehicle and electronic items. Griffin has agreed to donate half the proceeds from the upcoming sale of the Vermont home and the sale of a Mercedes.
CNN fired Griffin, who worked alongside disgraced Chris Cuomo, after the news of the arrest, as RadarOnline.com previously reported. "The charges against Mr. Griffin are deeply disturbing," a CNN spokesperson said in a statement. "We learned of his arrest Friday afternoon and terminated his employment Monday."