Thomas LeGro, the deputy director of video at The Washington Post, has been placed on leave after being charged with possessing child pornography by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C. The charges, announced by interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, emerged after a search of LeGro’s home revealed 11 videos depicting child pornography on his laptop. The search, which took place on Thursday, led to the seizure of several devices, including his work laptop, as agents observed what appeared to be fractured pieces of a hard drive in the hallway. The Post has acknowledged the severity of the allegations, placing LeGro on leave and declining to comment further. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Janani Iyengar.
LeGro’s legal troubles include a prior FBI investigation in 2006 connected to the digital currency platform E-Gold, which was linked to illicit websites. LeGro, who has worked at The Post since 2000, previously left the organization for a stint at PBS NewsHour before returning in 2013. He was among the journalists who earned a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for their investigative reporting on Roy Moore, the failed Republican Senate candidate in Alabama, who was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, some of whom claimed to be minors at the time. Moore denied the allegations mentioned in The Post’s reporting.
The charges against LeGro are part of broader efforts to combat the distribution of child pornography, a crime that has significant legal and moral implications. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C. emphasized the gravity of the situation, highlighting that the presence of such content on a professional’s device is a serious offense. While LeGro’s employment has been paused, the Post has not yet released a formal statement beyond acknowledging the allegations and placing him on leave. The situation has sparked discussions about the balance between individual rights and the responsibility of public figures to uphold ethical and legal standards in their work.
LeGro’s career at The Washington Post has been marked by both professional achievements and controversies. His involvement in the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation of Roy Moore, which exposed the candidate’s alleged past misconduct, demonstrates the newspaper’s commitment to investigative journalism. However, the current allegations against LeGro represent a significant breach of that ethical standard. The Post’s decision to place him on leave reflects the seriousness with which the organization is treating the matter, although the lack of detailed comments from the paper suggests a desire to avoid further public speculation or scrutiny.
The case against LeGro underscores the growing focus on the digital spaces where such crimes are often concealed. The E-Gold platform, mentioned in the FBI investigation, was notable for its use in facilitating illicit transactions, including those related to the distribution of child pornography. This historical context highlights the evolving nature of digital crime and the challenges faced by law enforcement in addressing these issues. As the legal proceedings against LeGro unfold, the case may serve as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity and the responsibility of individuals to maintain the integrity of their digital footprints.