In April, a well-known former producer for ABC News was indicted on a charge of “transporting” images depicting the sexual abuse of children.
The defendant, James Gordon Meek, initially pleaded not guilty and was set for a July trial, according to court papers reviewed by The Daily Beast.
But on Friday, Meek is set to plead guilty, changing his earlier plea and nixing the need for a trial.
According to The Daily Beast, Meek’s team negotiated a plea deal reserving his freedom to appeal.
Meek was arrested in February, and in June he reportedly asked the judge last month to postpone the July 5 trial, in order to allow time to craft a plea deal. Meek’s team wanted “to engage in discussions regarding the possible resolution of the case” without trial, one motion reportedly said.
Earlier this year, authorities found images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct on electronic devices taken from his home. Authorities also discovered multiple conversations in which “participants expressed enthusiasm for the sexual abuse of children,” according to court papers.
An affidavit recounts the sexually explicit material sent from an iPhone.
“Pawny4 sent USERNAME3 via [the instant-messaging application] Kik approximately four additional images depicting child pornography,” the affidavit says.
“The last image of child pornography, depicting a prepubescent girl with apparent semen on her stomach immediately above her exposed genitalia, was sent on the morning of February 27, 2020.”
He faces a charge of transportation of child pornography, which calls for a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, officials said. An email seeking comment was sent to Meek’s attorney.
ABC News declined the Associated Press’s request for comment. Meek resigned from ABC News last year.
In criminal cases, the defense often stays quiet. However, Meek’s team has reportedly accused the F.B.I. of obtaining the evidence illegally, and Meek may argue this again on appeal.
The FBI’s investigation was prompted by a tip from Dropbox about videos showing the sexual abuse of children found in March 2021 in an account that was associated with Meek, according to court papers. Federal authorities searched his home in April.
Investigators also found that Meek engaged with minors on platforms like Snapchat, according to court documents. A minor interviewed by law enforcement told authorities that Meek approached her through Snapchat and pressured her to provide sexually explicit photos, according to court papers.
Meek joined ABC News’ Washington bureau as an investigative producer in 2013. He previously worked for the New York Daily News and also served as senior counterterrorism adviser and investigator for the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security.
More recently, he was a writer and narrator for “3212 Un-redacted,” a Hulu documentary released in 2021 that stemmed from a years-long investigation by ABC into the deaths of four U.S. Special Forces soldiers in Africa.
Meek remains in federal custody due to bail revocation, according to The Daily Mail.
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.