Former CNN producer sentenced to 19 years for child abuse

Former CNN Producer Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse

In a shocking case that has sent shockwaves through the media industry, John Griffin, a disgraced former CNN producer, has been sentenced to more than 19 years in prison for sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl. The sentencing took place during a U.S. District Court hearing in Vermont.

Griffin, 45, pleaded guilty in federal court last year after being charged with multiple counts of using interstate commerce to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity at his Vermont ski house.

BREAKING: A former CNN television producer, John Griffin who had pleaded guilty to luring a 9-year-old girl into illegal sexual acts was sentenced to 19 years in prison and an additional 15 years of supervised release. pic.twitter.com/rDNYPTNQoR

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U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest described Griffin’s actions as despicable, stating, “Leveraging his personal wealth, John Griffin targeted and sought to abuse vulnerable young girls.”

According to court records, Griffin used online messaging apps like Kik and Google Hangouts to contact parents of underage girls, convincing them to allow him to train their daughters in sexual submission.

In a disturbing incident, Griffin paid a Nevada mother and her 9-year-old daughter over $3,000 to travel to his house in Vermont, where he engaged in sexual acts with the child and subjected her to bondage and sadomasochistic activities.

The victim and her grandmother participated in the court hearing via video, with the grandmother confronting Griffin, saying, “The child that you raped was my granddaughter. You forever ruined a 9-year-old girl.”

The traumatized girl expressed her loss of trust, stating, “I will never trust anyone again. You make me sad and angry.”

Griffin’s disturbing beliefs about women were revealed in a statement from the Department of Justice, where he claimed that women should be sexually subservient and inferior to men.

Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albany Field Office, Janeen DiGuiseppi, emphasized the importance of this sentence, stating, “This sentence reinforces the message that the victimization of children will not be tolerated by law enforcement.”

As part of his sentence, Griffin has been ordered to pay approximately $1.1 million in restitution to the child victim and forfeit his Tesla, which he used to transport the girl and her mother.

Griffin’s LinkedIn account revealed his previous work on CNN’s “New Day” alongside Chris Cuomo. He also had experience as a producer at ABC, Fox News, and CBS.

U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III condemned Griffin’s actions as “outrageous” and justified the severe penalty.

Ryan Saavedra contributed to this report.