The Federal Bureau of Investigation apprehended a Connecticut man on Friday for allegedly enticing kids to participate in illegal sexual activities, according to authorities.
John Griffin, 44, was arrested on Friday after a federal grand jury in Vermont accused him with three counts of attempting to attract juveniles to participate in illicit sexual behavior by utilizing an interstate commerce facility.
From April to July 2020, the Stamford, Conn., resident used the messaging apps Kik and Google Hangouts to communicate with people posing as parents of young girls in order to convey to them that women should be sexually subservient and inferior to men, and that a “woman is a woman regardless of her age,” among other ideas.
Griffin was described as a “CNN employee” by the Stanford Advocate, and his LinkedIn profile said that he worked closely with the recently sacked Chris Cuomo.
“We take the charges against Mr. Griffin incredibly seriously,” a CNN representative told Hearst Connecticut Media on Friday. “We only learned of his arrest this afternoon and have suspended him pending investigation.”
Griffin’s purpose, according to the indictment, was to convince parents to let him sexually train their daughters, teaching them how to be sexually subservient.
According to an indictment filed on Thursday, Griffin allegedly paid for and kept an online profile on a “BDSM dating, Fetish, and Kink Site” for several years leading up to July 2020, on which he allegedly wrote he was looking for women who were “sexually ‘submissive’ and ‘open-minded.’”
During conversations on separate online platforms, Griffin allegedly said he believed in “a way of life” in which “women are sexually subservient and inferior to men,” according to the indictment. He allegedly used online platforms to seek parents “who would allow him to train their minor daughters to be sexually subservient,” the indictment said.
Authorities claimed he suggested a “virtual training session” during a video call in April 2020, in which he ordered a mother and her 14-year-old daughter to remove their garments and touch one other.
In June, he informed a mother of two young daughters, aged 9 and 13, that it was her job to ensure that her older daughter “was properly taught.”
Griffin allegedly paid more than $3,000 to the woman to fly her and the 9-year-old girl to Boston in July, where prosecutors say he picked them up from the airport and brought them to the ski house “where the child was directed to engage in and did engage in illegal sexual activity,” the indictment said.
In June and July, Griffin also allegedly talked online and on the phone with someone who claimed to be the mother of two girls, 9 and 13, according to the indictment.
“At the house, the daughter was directed to engage in, and did engage in, unlawful sexual activity,” authorities said.
Griffin reportedly suggested to a lady masquerading as the mother of a 16-year-old daughter that they conduct a “little mother-daughter trip” to the ski house for sexual training involving the youngster, according to the indictment.
Griffin seems to have worked as a “senior producer” at CNN since 2013, following almost eight years at ABC News, according to his LinkedIn profile. He has previously worked for Fox News and CBS News as a producer and editor.
He characterizes his position at CNN as “lead anchor’s senior producer” on the network’s morning news program “shoulder-to-shoulder with lead anchor Chris Cuomo.”
Cuomo, who was formerly one of the network’s most popular anchors, was recently sacked for allegedly attempting to assist his brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in fighting sexual harassment allegations.
Griffin faces a required minimum penalty of ten years in prison on each count, with a potential term of life in prison if convicted, according to federal officials.
According to the indictment, the federal government seeks to pursue forfeiture of Griffin’s Ludlow home, his Tesla, a Mercedes, and other property he used to accomplish the claimed acts.
“The allegations are deeply disturbing, and our office is committed to working with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office District of Vermont to ensure Mr. Griffin is held accountable for his actions,” the FBI said in a statement posted on Twitter Friday. “The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate those who victimize the most vulnerable in our communities.”
#FBI Albany SAC statement regarding the arrest of CT resident John Griffin by our Rutland, VT Resident Agency. @USAO_VT release here: https://t.co/mYOr6ZcpdN pic.twitter.com/3yhjn3NYqi
— FBI Albany (@FBIAlbany) December 10, 2021
If convicted, Griffin faces anywhere from 10 years in prison to a life sentence for each count, according to the news release.
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