Former CNN Senior Producer Pleads Guilty To Child Sex Crime

A former television producer has pleaded guilty to a child sex crime, according to reports.

John Griffin, 45, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to using interstate commerce to entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity, the Associated Press reported.

Griffin, a native of Stamford, Connecticut, persuaded a woman he met online during the summer of 2020 to bring her 9-year-old daughter to his residence for illegal sexual activity, according to his plea deal.

The ex-CNN senior producer paid the woman and the girl to fly from Nevada to Boston, picked them up and drove them to his Vermont ski home where he assaulted the minor, court records showed.

A grand jury indicted Griffin on three counts of enticement of a minor on Dec. 9 last year, and he was arrested the next day.

Griffin, who was fired from CNN after his arrest, initially pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

As part of Griffin's plea deal, the government will drop two of the counts against him.

Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20. He faces a possible sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison.

The former television producer must pay full restitution to his victims. The amount will be determined in court later.

He faces a fine of up to $250,000 and other fees as well.

In addition to the jail time and fines, Griffin also faces a term of five years to life on supervised release with conditions, including being required to participate in a sex offender evaluation and treatment as well as to register as a sex offender.

Griffin is longer allowed to have contact with people under the age of 18 unless he is in the presence of a responsible adult who has been approved by a probation officer.

He is also prohibited from being in areas where children congregate, such as schools, playgrounds and theme parks, unless approved by the probation office beforehand.

Griffin has agreed to forfeit a Tesla vehicle and electronic items. He will also donate half of the proceeds from the sale of his home in Vermont and the upcoming sale of a Mercedes vehicle into the court registry.

Prior to his eight-year stint at CNN, Griffin worked for ABC News, Fox News and CBS News, according to his LinkedIn profile.