Ex-ABC News Reporter James Gordon Meek to Plead Guilty to Child Pornography Charges
July 18 2023, Published 7:46 p.m. ET
Ex-ABC News reporter James Gordon Meek is expected to plead guilty to charges related to the possession and exchange of child pornographic materials, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Meek, 53, who served as a national security journalist, is scheduled to appear in a Virginia federal court on Friday following his January 2023 indictment on child pornography charges. He faced a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years behind bars.
The disturbing allegations came to light after the FBI conducted a raid on the journalist's Arlington home in April 2022. FBI officials were alerted by Dropbox in March 2021 of illicit materials of minors stored on Meek's account.
In addition to being accused of possessing and exchanging child pornographic materials, Meek allegedly detailed his sadistic desires in graphic messages. The FBI raid resulted in the seizure of the once-acclaimed reporter's electronic devices.
According to the Post, a federal agent claimed in an arrest affidavit that upon analyzing Meek's devices, three phone calls were discovered in which the former ABC News journalist expressed his desire to abuse children.
The same FBI agent claimed photos and videos of pornographic materials involving minors were also sent and received by Meek.
In a stomach-churning message that Meek was accused of sending, he asked an unnamed user, "Have you ever raped a toddler girl? It’s amazing."
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Other disturbing accusations on exchanges the agency said they found on his devices included Meek sharing his fantasy of "abducting, drugging, and raping" a user as a 12-year-old girl.
The agency claimed Meek had additional pornographic materials on other devices and engaged in online chats with minors.
Meek resigned from his former network immediately following the search conducted at his home.
Meek began his career with ABC News back in 2013. While at the network, Meek won an Emmy award for his breaking news coverage of the 2017 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.
Prior to joining ABC News, Meek reported for the New York Daily News. While at the latter, the journalist reported breaking news on Al-Qaeda's plot to bomb New York City's tunnels in 2006.
Meek additionally served as a senior counterterrorism advisor to the House Committee on Homeland Security in 2011.