Disgraced former ABC News reporter James Gordon Meek – who trafficked in “sadistic” child pornography involving babies and children – should face up to 15 years in prison after being sentenced later this week, federal prosecutors said.
Meek, 54, will be sentenced on Friday in a Virginia federal court after he pleaded guilty in July to transporting and possessing child sex abuse material – and had asked a judge for a minimum of five years in prison.
Federal guidelines recommend that Meek should serve between 12 1/2 years and 15 years in prison — which prosecutors argued was an appropriate range for his sentence as they detailed his sickening act in court papers.
“He clearly sought out individuals all over the internet for the specific purpose of sharing (and growing) his [Child Sexual Abuse Material] collection for his sexual gratification,” prosecutors Zoe Bedell and Whitney Kramer said in a filing from Friday.
The once-prominent national security reporter sent and received child pornography “of infants and young children and content depicting sadistic and masochistic abuse of pre-adolescent children,” prosecutors wrote.
He sought out children online, “including by impersonating minors,” and was part of a chat group called “C–ks, C–ts, and Kids,” the filing said.
Meek’s perverted acts also included using an underage girl’s “affection” for a public figure to convince her to send him “at least a dozen screenshots” of her breasts and genitalia, court papers allege.
James Gordon Meek should be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison, prosecutors say.AP
Her phone had screenshots taken of messages exchanged with the 14- and 15-year-old’s breasts — and in the same chat, she was seen in the video “naked and holding his penis in her hand,” the filing said. accuse.
Meek’s twisted tastes are widespread, with his behavior spanning “multiple platforms and years” — up to nearly a decade, the feds allege.
Victims of child pornography trafficking suffer more than ordinary victims of abuse because they continue to be victimized by the fact that the material can exist on the internet forever, the feds explained, emphasizing the seriousness of Meek’s crime.
The disgraced ABC News reporter is set to be sentenced to a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison on Friday. ABC via Getty Images
“A significant prison sentence is appropriate to deter the defendant and others from engaging in this conduct in the future,” prosecutors wrote.
Meanwhile, Meek’s attorney, Eugene Gorokhov, asked for as light a sentence as possible, calling the guideline range “excessive,” according to partially redacted court papers filed Monday.
Meek’s lack of criminal history, good deeds in his life and his remorse and full acceptance of responsibility all warrant leniency, Gorokhov wrote.
The once acclaimed journalist pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in July. James Gordon Meek/Twitter
“Meek’s criminal actions in this case are completely contrary to his proven personal values,” the lawyer wrote.
Meek — who is divorced — is the “loving father” of two daughters, aged 16 and 20, who have suffered “pain and shame” from his actions.
He “has lost almost everything,” with his reputation and financial well-being destroyed, his family subject to scandal and many of his friends cutting ties with him, Gorokhov wrote.
Meek is accused of receiving and sending child pornography and engaging in chats with underage girls. ABC via Getty Images
Meek’s extensive coverage of the war on terror in the Middle East — including viewing photographs and footage of the war — came at a cost “in the form of his mental health,” Gorokhov wrote in a heavily redacted section of court papers.
“It is notable that trauma has been found to lead to this type of emotional numbing, combined with an increased tendency toward impulsivity,” the lawyer wrote.
In the case of child pornography, “individuals refuse to seek help because of the shame involved and fear of legal consequences,” Gorokhov wrote.
The attorney stated that while that was not an excuse, it helped explain Meek’s behavior.
Meek’s attorney is asking that his client get a minimum term of five years. James Gordon Meek/Twitter
The disgraced reporter resigned from ABC News and went off the grid immediately after the feds raided his home in Arlington, Va., on April 27, 2022, seizing his electronics.
The judge overseeing Meek’s case will not be bound by federal sentencing guidelines. But because of the proposal, Meek is unlikely to get nearly the maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars he faces with his plea.
Meek was hired by ABC News in 2013 after working for the Daily News, where in 2006 he broke that an al Qaeda plan to bomb the New York City tunnels had been foiled.
The lawyer said his client has taken full responsibility and regrets his actions.James Gordon Meek/Twitter
He won an Emmy in 2017 for his breaking news coverage of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, and he investigated and produced Hulu’s hit documentary “3212 Un-redacted” about a 2017 US special forces mission in Niger in which four soldiers were killed.
He also served as a senior counterterrorism adviser and investigator for the US House Committee on Homeland Security beginning in 2011.
Gorokhov did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
