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A former ABC reporter is expected to be sentenced in a Virginia federal court this week for possession of child pornography.
According to the Daily Beast, James Gordon Meek, 54, has asked the court for leniency — while attributing his illicit addiction to his war and torture reporting. Meek admitted to having and sharing explicit images of babies and children being sexually assaulted.
However, Meek’s attorney Eugene Gorokhov wrote that his client never sought help before his arrest.
“As is typical in cases involving this type of conduct, individuals are reluctant to seek out help both because of the shame involved and fear of the legal consequences,” he penned.
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According to the Daily Beast, Meek also encouraged online users who claimed to be minors to give him pictures of their genitals. The New York Post reported that investigators reviewed Meek’s phone and found screenshots of conversations he had with 14- and 15-year-old girls. In a video from those chats, he is apparently seen with his genitalia in his hand.
Prosecutors alleged that Meek also procured sexually explicit pictures from minors by posing as a minor himself.
Prosecutors want Meek to serve 16 years for his crimes. He has asked the court for a five-year sentence. According to the New York Post, Gorokhov told the court that his client “has lost nearly everything” following his arrest.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday.
