A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from The Washington Post has been arrested and charged after federal investigators allegedly discovered child pornography on his work computer, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Friday.
Thomas Pham LeGro, 48, was taken into custody on Thursday following an FBI raid on his home, during which agents seized multiple electronic devices. According to a press release from Pirro’s office, a review of LeGro’s work-issued laptop uncovered a folder containing 11 videos depicting child sexual abuse material.
During the execution of the search warrants, agents also found “fractured pieces of a hard drive in the hallway outside the room where LeGro’s work laptop was located,” the press release stated. Investigators believe LeGro, who was employed as a video editor at the time, destroyed his personal laptop as agents arrived to carry out the warrant.
According to the New York Post, LeGro made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., on Friday. A detention hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday.
The journalist, who has spent 18 years at The Washington Post, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. According to his biography, LeGro worked in the paper’s sports department from 2000 to 2006 before leaving to serve as a reporter and producer for PBS NewsHour. He returned to The Washington Post in 2013.
A heavily redacted FBI file also alleges that LeGro was connected to multiple E-Gold accounts in 2005 and 2006. The now-defunct digital payment platform was seized by federal authorities in 2007 after credible evidence linked it to money laundering operations tied to child pornography networks. According to the affidavit, the FBI received authorization to begin monitoring LeGro’s online activity in May of this year.
As a member of the outlet’s video operation, he was part of a team of reporters that won a prestigious Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the 2017 Alabama Senate special election. This unusual race was marked by scandals involving Roy Moore.
A spokesperson for the Washington Post said Legro has been placed on leave following his arrest. “The Washington Post understands the severity of these allegations, and the employee has been placed on leave,” the outlet said in a statement.