A former ABC News investigative reporter has been arrested on charges of “trafficking” child sexual abuse images, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
James Gordon Meek, 53, of Arlington, Va., who worked for homeland security and the military, was arrested Tuesday, months after his home was raided by federal authorities.
Authorities found images of children engaging in sexually explicit behavior on electronic devices taken from his home. Authorities also discovered several conversations in which “participants expressed enthusiasm for child sexual abuse,” according to court documents.
He is charged with possession of child pornography, which carries a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, officials said. An email was sent to Meek’s attorney seeking comment.
via the Associated Press
ABC News declined to comment Wednesday. Meek resigned from ABC News last year. The FBI’s investigation was sparked by a Dropbox tip about videos showing child sexual abuse found in March 2021 on an account associated with Meek, according to court documents. Federal authorities raided his home in April.
Investigators also found that Meek engaged with minors on platforms such as Snapchat, according to court documents. A minor interviewed by law enforcement told authorities Meek approached her via Snapchat and pressured her to provide sexually explicit photos, according to court documents.
Meek joined ABC News’ Washington bureau as an investigative producer in 2013. He previously worked for the New York Daily News and was also a senior counterterrorism consultant and investigator for the US House Homeland Security Committee.
Most recently, he served as writer and narrator for “3212 Un-redacted,” a 2021 Hulu documentary that followed ABC’s years-long investigation into the deaths of four U.S. Special Forces soldiers in Africa.
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