Pulitzer-Winning Washington Post Journalist Arrested on Child Porn Charges
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at The Washington Post has been arrested after FBI investigators allegedly discovered child pornography on his work laptop. Thomas Pham LeGro, 48, a video editor at the paper, was taken into custody Thursday following a raid on his Washington, D.C. residence.
According to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, agents found a folder containing 11 videos depicting child sexual abuse material on LeGro’s work-issued laptop. The Justice Department also noted the discovery of “fractured pieces of a hard drive” in the hallway outside the room where the device was located.
LeGro made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Friday. A detention hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
An FBI affidavit revealed that LeGro had been linked to E-Gold accounts between 2005 and 2006. E-Gold was a digital currency platform shut down by the government in 2007 after being associated with money laundering activities connected to child exploitation. Court documents also show that the FBI had received approval to monitor LeGro’s internet activity as early as May.
LeGro’s journalism career spans more than two decades. He worked in The Washington Post’s sports section from 2000 to 2006, then became a reporter and producer at PBS NewsHour before returning to the Post in 2013. He was part of the video team that earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for its reporting on Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.
The Washington Post responded with a short statement following the arrest: “The Washington Post understands the severity of these allegations, and the employee has been placed on leave.”
The Department of Justice confirmed that the investigation is being led by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Janani Iyengar are handling the prosecution, part of the DOJ’s broader Project Safe Childhood initiative targeting the online exploitation of minors.
