Former 'Jeopardy!' Champion Philip DeSena, 44, Held Without Bond on 10 Child Exploitation Charges — After Previously Pleading Guilty to Secret Peeping
Philip 'Joey' DeSena was arrested in North Carolina.
Oct. 26 2026, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Philip 'Joey' DeSena, a two-time Jeopardy! champion, is being held without bond after receiving 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The 44-year-old was arrested and charged on Friday, October 23, in North Carolina, as prosecutors alleged DeSena possessed and duplicated 10 digital files depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
Philip 'Joey' DeSena Arrested
Philip 'Joey' DeSena was charged with ten counts of second-degree sexual exploitation.
A warrant was issued for his arrest on Thursday, October 22. According to court records obtained by Radar, DeSena was ordered to provide fingerprints and a DNA sample to authorities.
A Wake County judge did not authorize his immediate release. The judge ordered him to be held without bond until his next appearance on October 26. His next scheduled appearance was set for November 16.
Inside Philip 'Joey' DeSena's Former Conviction
DeSena pleaded guilty to a prior case.
DeSena was charged with the latest felonies while still on probation from his last.
He was arrested in December 2025 for two counts of felony secret peeping. Prosecutors alleged DeSena placed cameras in a bedroom and bathroom, intending to capture images of another person without consent. The incident reportedly occurred in October 2025, and DeSena turned himself in.
DeSena was released from jail after posting a $5,000 bond, unlike in his latest incident. After he pleaded guilty, he was handed a 60-month probation sentence without registering as a s-- offender as part of his guilty plea.
Additionally, he was ordered to pay $1,625.50. As per the payment schedule, DeSena was ordered to pay $72 per month beginning in February 2026.
Champion Wins Over $44,000
'Jeopardy!' fans were disappointed over the news.
DeSena won more than $44,000 during his two-game run on the legendary quiz show Jeopardy! in November 2024. The following January, he competed in the show's Winter 2025 Champions Wildcard tournament, but has not returned since.
Fans of the show were disappointed by the news, as one person on Facebook wrote, "I'll take Scumbag for a $1,000 Alex…."
Another added, "As a grown man, I will never I mean never understand why any adult would be interested in a child."
Game Show Announcer Faces Allegations
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Jim Thornton was booted from 'Wheel of Fortune'.
The game show world was recently rocked by another major sexual misconduct scandal after Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton was accused of accessing an inappropriate chatroom while aboard a flight.
LAX airport authorities were given a report by another individual on the flight after they allegedly saw the chatroom on Thornton's laptop. Thornton was stopped for questioning, but allowed to go without incident and not charged with a crime.
Thornton was later terminated from his job on the show.
His attorney maintained Thornton was unaware of the purpose or content of the site before accessing it. Instead, the lawyer claimed Thornton believed it to be a suicide prevention website. They claimed he visited suicide prevention chatrooms after being personally affected by the loss of a loved one.
The chatroom affirmed that its purpose was not to encourage any illegal activity or the harm of minors. Instead, they claimed the purpose of the chatroom was to allow non-acting p-dophiles a way to receive support, as treatment can be limited.
