Former ABC Reporter Arrested By FBI For Child Exploitation

Prominent ABC journalist James Gordon Meek, 53, was arrested this week on criminal charges relating to his transportation of child pornography. According to court documents, the investigation into Meek was initiated by a lead sent to the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force from Dropbox. In April 2022, law enforcement executed a court-authorized search of Meek’s residence. Agents seized multiple devices containing evidence of the transportation of child exploitation images.

The court documents reveal that multiple devices belonging to Meek contained images of children engaged in improper explicit conduct and chat conversations with other users who expressed enthusiasm for crimes against children. 

In two of these conversations, a username linked to Meek received and distributed illegal child-related materials through an internet-based messaging platform. As a result, Meek has been charged with transportation of child pornography and faces a sentence between 5 and 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

This investigation was a collaborative effort between the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Arlington County Police Department. The task force, which is comprised of FBI agents and other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, is responsible for investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in child exploitation and human trafficking.

The defendant was an investigative reporter for ABC News and produced the documentary “3212 Un-redacted”, which investigated the deaths of four U.S. soldiers in Nigeria and a potential cover-up by the U.S. Army. Meek’s disappearance from the public eye in the past year sparked speculation. It fueled conspiracy theories, but now it is revealed that he was in possession of child pornography.

The implications of this case are far-reaching and serve as a reminder to parents to regularly monitor their children’s online activities. Families must remain aware of the potential dangers that exist online and take proactive measures to protect America’s children. The graphic and distressing nature of the crimes committed by Meek cannot be underestimated and highlights the need for continued efforts to protect children from irreparable harm.