Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton was reportedly questioned by law enforcement after a fellow passenger allegedly spotted him viewing disturbing messages in an alleged child exploitation chatroom while aboard an American Airlines flight.
CONTENT WARNING
New close-up photos from the May 14 flight, obtained by TMZ, show Jim Thornton’s screen displaying disturbing messages, including “A nice hangout for kids. Saw a couple of cute boys and a hot little girl,” and “All-you-can-eat Boyffet.” Another message reportedly referenced “CP,” which the passenger believed meant child pornography.
According to the report, timestamps visible in the images suggest Thornton was in the chatroom for nearly an hour. The passenger alerted flight attendants, who then notified law enforcement.
Officers reportedly met Jim Thornton at the gate when the flight arrived and questioned him before releasing him. The game show announcer has not been arrested or charged in connection with the incident.
TMZ also reported that Jim Thornton may be edited out of the upcoming 44th season of Wheel of Fortune as producers work to address the situation and potentially find a replacement.
