'Wheel of Fortune' Jim Thornton: Pedophile Chat Room Organizer Speaks Out After Airplane Incident
TMZ • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Jim Thornton, former "Wheel of Fortune" announcer, was fired after being seen using Lifeline.chat, an online chat room associated with pedophilia, during a May flight, leading to law enforcement questioning him upon landing.
- Photos showed Thornton spending nearly an hour on the site with conversations linked to pedophilia, though he was not arrested or charged.
- Lifeline.chat organizers issued a statement denying any criminal activity on the site, emphasizing it provides support for minor-attracted people who face severe social stigma and risk of legal consequences.
- Thornton's attorney stated he was trying to access a suicide-prevention forum and was inadvertently directed to Lifeline.chat, denying any involvement with child pornography.
- Sony Pictures Television conducted an internal investigation and subsequently terminated Thornton, who had been the show's announcer since 2011.
