Details on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ announcer fired after passenger reported disturbing chatroom on his laptop

BS BULLETIN:

Sony Pictures Television has fired longtime “Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton following an investigation into an incident aboard an American Airlines flight in May.
A fellow passenger photographed Thornton’s laptop displaying a chatroom described as being for people sexually attracted to children and reported what she saw to the flight crew.
Thornton’s attorney says he entered the site accidentally while attempting to reach a suicide-prevention forum. Thornton was questioned by law enforcement after landing but was not arrested or charged with a crime.

For Jim Thornton, the wheel has stopped.

Sony Pictures Television announced Friday that the longtime “Wheel of Fortune” announcer has been fired following an internal investigation into an extraordinarily disturbing incident aboard a commercial flight.

“Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with ‘Wheel of Fortune’ has been terminated, effective immediately,” Sony said.

Thornton, 61, had been the show’s announcer since 2011.

The controversy began with something another passenger says she saw over his shoulder aboard American Airlines Flight 1276 from Charlotte to Los Angeles on May 14.

Thornton was using his laptop.

According to photographs obtained by TMZ, his screen displayed lifeline.chat, a website describing itself as a support chat for people attracted to children.

The messages visible in the photographs were disturbing.

One participant referenced seeing attractive children at a restaurant. Another made a play on the word “buffet” involving boys. Other conversations reportedly contained references to “CP,” commonly used as shorthand for child pornography.

The passenger alerted a flight attendant and provided photographs to the crew.

The captain contacted authorities, and law enforcement met the flight when it arrived at Los Angeles International Airport. Thornton was questioned and released. He was not arrested and has not been charged with a crime.

His attorney, Allison Hart, offered an explanation for why Thornton was on the site. Hart said Thornton became involved in suicide-prevention advocacy after losing a close family member to suicide two years ago and has visited online forums to offer support to people experiencing suicidal thoughts. One legitimate resource he used was the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and its online chat.

According to Hart, an acquaintance in the suicide-prevention community directed Thornton to lifeline.chat, which Thornton believed was another suicide-prevention forum. It wasn’t.

Hart says Thornton left once he realized the nature of the site and has not returned. She also stressed that the website itself is not illegal and said Thornton has never viewed, downloaded or consumed child pornography. “In short, my client did nothing wrong,” Hart said.

There is, however, a detail likely to receive considerable attention. Photographs and their timestamps published by TMZ appear to indicate Thornton was in the chatroom for at least 57 minutes. The Los Angeles Times also reports that photographs show Thornton appearing to type into the chat.

Sony initially suspended Thornton earlier this week while investigating the allegations and began recasting his role. By Friday, suspension had become termination. Sony hasn’t publicly detailed what its internal investigation found beyond announcing that Thornton was fired after it was completed.

His departure creates an immediate production problem. Thornton had already recorded announcing duties for the new season of “Wheel of Fortune,” scheduled to premiere Sept. 14. Those portions are now being re-recorded by an interim announcer, according to TVLine. A permanent replacement has not yet been announced.

Thornton became the permanent voice of “Wheel of Fortune” in 2011 following the death of legendary announcer Charlie O’Donnell.

After 15 years of introducing contestants and sending them toward the wheel, that run ended Friday with three words nobody wants attached to his name: Terminated, effective immediately.