Former CNN producer pleads guilty to child sex charge

Former CNN producer John Griffin pleaded guilty on Monday to using interstate commerce to entice a minor into sexual activity.

Griffin met a woman online in the summer of 2020 and convinced her to bring her daughter, 9, to his Vermont ski home to engage in illegal sexual activity, the Associated Press reported. Griffin paid for the pair to travel to Boston from Nevada and then drove them personally to his Vermont home where he sexually assaulted the minor.

As part of the plea deal, Griffin managed to drop two further counts of enticement of a minor. He faces 10 years to life in prison, a fine of $250,000, and will sell off his Vermont home and other assets, with part of the proceeds going to the court registry.

He further faces five years to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. He will further be barred from contact with individuals under the age of 18 without the supervision of an adult who has been approved by a probation officer.

Griffin retained his position at CNN for roughly 8 years until his Dec. 10, 2021 arrest.

CNN reported at the time that according to an indictment, Griffin allegedly paid for and maintained a profile on an online "BDSM dating, Fetish and Kink Site" over several years on which he was looking for women who were "sexually 'submissive' and 'open-minded.'" He also allegedly used other websites to find parents "who would allow him to train their minor daughters to be sexually subservient," according to the outlet.