Ex-CNN producer jailed after mum flew daughter to his home so he could abuse her

21 June 2023 , 15:55

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John Griffin worked for CNN for around eight years (Image: Twitter)

A former CNN producer has been sentenced to more than 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to luring a 9-year-old girl into illegal sexual acts.

John Griffin, of Stamford, Connecticut, pleaded guilty in federal court in December to using interstate commerce to entice and coerce the girl to engage in sexual activity at his Vermont ski house. He was sentenced on Tuesday, June 20, to more than 19 years in prison and an additional 15 years of supervised release during a US District Court hearing in Vermont.

As part of the plea deal last December, the government dropped two other counts of enticement of a minor against Griffin, 45 at the time.

Photo from Vermont State Police of John Griffin who has been sentenced to more than 19 years in prison (AP)

Initially, the former television producer had pleaded not guilty in 2021. He has been ordered to pay restitution to the victims.

According to the plea deal, Griffin met a woman online during the summer of 2020 before persuading her to bring her daughter to his ski home in Ludlow, Vermont, for sexual activity.

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He had met the pair online through Kik and Google Hangouts, according to federal prosecutors.

Griffin arranged for the mum and her daughter to fly to meet him at his Vermont ski home (Twitter)

Griffin paid Heather Carriker and her nine-year-old daughter £3,350 to fly from Nevada to Boston where he picked them up and drove them to the ski home, more than 140 miles away. It was here the girl said Griffin sexually assaulted her, according to court records.

Griffin was arrested on December 10, 2021, the day after he was indicted by a grand jury.

At the time, prosecutors said Griffin had also spoken to other parents, including the father of a 14-year-old girl he wished to recruit. A previous indictment claims he told the father he had trained girls as young as seven, and that he thought his daughter would be a good candidate.

He told the unnamed father that the training would begin over video chat, and would include "spanking" and "c**k worship".

Heather Carriker was jailed for a minimum of eight years (Henderson Police Department)

Carriker was arrested by officers in Henderson, Nevada, on counts of child abuse and sexual assault of a child in connection with the case in 2021. In June 2022 she was jailed for a minimum of eight years after pleading guilty to the charges.

Some of the sickening language Griffin used was revealed by the previous indictment, including language used to express his views on women.

Griffin, 44, allegedly got at least one mom of two daughters to bring the girl to his Ludlow ski getaway, in June 2020 (Twitter)

It included: "When handled correctly, a woman is a woman regardless of her age", and that every woman has a "wanton w***e at her core."

He also reportedly said calling women and girls innocent was a misconception, that they were the "dirtiest s***s possible."

Griffin's sentence also means he cannot have contact with people under the age of 18, except in the presence of an adult who has been approved by a probation officer. He is also prohibited from being in areas where children gather - such as schools, playgrounds and theme parks, unless approved by the probation office beforehand.

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He worked for CNN for around eight years but was fired after being arrested, according to the network. After his crimes came to light, the network called the then allegations "deeply disturbing."

Fiona Leishman