James Gordon Meek.Photo:Michael Le Brecht/ABC via Getty
Michael Le Brecht/ABC via Getty
Content warning: The following story includes disturbing descriptions of child sexual abuse.
ABC’s former senior investigative Emmy-winning producer, James Gordon Meek, whose career included reporting on terrorism, wars and major crimes, is expected to plead guilty in a child pornography case Friday, according to court records.
Meek was arrested January 31 and is charged with transportation of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
A criminal complaint details evidence allegedly obtained during the search of his Arlington, Va., home, including an iPhone 8, which Meek allegedly named “Bone Machine,” Found on the phone, the complaint alleges, were group conversations in which Meek and others allegedly “expressed enthusiasm for the sexual abuse of children” and shared child pornography through the messaging platform Kik.
Among the images federal agents allegedly found in Meek’s possession was one of a naked prepubescent boy, a strap crossing his face, his mouth forced open and his hands bound to his feet. A Santa Claus hat is on his head and a bow is around his waist. Agents also recovered conversations in which Meek — who authorities say used the handle “Pawny4” — allegedly tells a 12-year-old girl that he fantasized about “abducting, drugging, and raping” her. Another video allegedly shows the rape of an infant.
James Gordon Meek in booking photograph, Jan. 31, 2023 in Alexandria, Va.Alexandria Sheriff’s Office via AP
Alexandria Sheriff’s Office via AP
Meek allegedly engaged in chats with minors and adults obsessed with hurting children in social media conversation threads, the criminal complaint states. According to the complaint, Meek allegedly spoke with minors as young as 12 on sites like Snapchat — authorities claim he used the username “hoolijax” — and Omegle, a communication platform offering random matches for anonymous text communication, which can be filtered for likely minor matches.
The complaint alleges Meek was grooming minors for sexual favors. In a Snapchat conversation, hoolijax tells one minor that he knows “someone who knows” her favorite celebrity (whose name was redacted from documents) “really well” and says, “I could help you.” She later sends a nude photograph, telling him in a text banner across the photograph: “Tell [public figure 1] to talk to me.” The girl later alleged to federal agents that hoolijax and other men had reached out to her on Snapchat “and had pressured her to provide pictures depicting sexually explicit conduct,” according to the complaint.
In a February filing arguing against Meek’s detention, his defense lawyer, Eugene Gorokhov, emphasized that Meek was not accused of having “any physical contact with any minor” or attempting “to meet a minor for improper purposes” — allegations, which if made, would have extended the charges beyond child pornography.
The high-profile journalist and former congressional advisor had disappeared quietly in the wake of allegations sealed until February of this year. Meek, who was arrested January 31, had previously worked as a Senior Counterterrorism Advisor and Investigator for the House Committee on Homeland Security, according to hisABC News biography– a position that his lawyertoldTheWashingtonPostgave him “top-secret clearance.”
Less than two weeks before federal agents raided his home in April 2022, Meek published his last archived work for ABC News: a story about thefederal conviction of an ISIS memberin the same courthouse where Meek now faces charges.
Meek, who had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge of transporting child pornography, was slated to start trial in the Eastern District of Virginia’s federal court in Alexandria Monday. The July 17 notation in the court docket with Meek’s decision to change his plea, does not specify what charge he will plead guilty to or what the conditions of that plea would be.
The change of plea hearing is set for 10 a.m. Friday.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
