A former investigative information producer at KNBC in Los Angeles was arrested on suspicion of distributing greater than 100 baby porn photos and movies, in accordance with the FBI.
Phil Drechsler, 60, accessed and shared baby pornography in a gaggle chat with greater than 20 different individuals on the safe messaging app Telegram, an FBI agent alleged in a prison grievance in opposition to the ex-L.A. information producer.
“Drechsler, utilizing the alias ‘Karen Flores,’ was a member of a web based group of people who frequently despatched and obtained baby pornography through a gaggle chat inside the Telegram software referred to as ‘The Playground Lives,’ ” wrote Particular Agent Chelsea Malone within the grievance, which was filed April 18.
Drechsler was within the group chat viewing and sharing baby pornography for slightly below a 12 months from August 2020 to June 2021, in accordance with Malone. When federal brokers executed a search warrant on his telephone final month, in addition they discovered suspected baby pornography in his not too long ago deleted album within the Images software.
The 60-year-old was laid off from his job at KNBC in February after being provided a buyout from the corporate, he tweeted on the time.
“I used to be provided a buyout … turned it down… was laid off with all of the provisions of the purchase out,” he tweeted.
Whereas Drechsler tweeted, “I really like what I do. I nonetheless really feel younger,” on the time of his layoff, when brokers interviewed his spouse on April 17, she informed them that her husband had made “regarding statements about taking his personal life” after which drove to Ohio with three weapons, in accordance with the grievance.
Federal brokers in Ohio started surveilling Drechsler at a resort in Cincinnati and arrested him there on April 17.
He was charged with three counts of distributing baby pornography.
