Thomas Pham LeGro, a 48-year-old deputy director of video at The Washington Post, was charged by federal authorities on June 26 with possessing child pornography—11 video files—located on his work-issued laptop during an FBI raid on his Washington, D.C. residence. The Justice Department, led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, initiated the arrest under its Project Safe Childhood initiative.
LeGro, a Pulitzer Prize winner who worked at The Post for 18 years and previously at PBS NewsHour, appeared in U.S. District Court on June 27. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. During the search, FBI agents also discovered damaged hard-drive fragments near his laptop’s storage area. The Washington Post announced LeGro has been placed on leave amid the investigation.
This case highlights the federal government’s aggressive enforcement against child pornography, even when offenses involve workplace devices and award-winning journalists. The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is managing the investigation, with a detention hearing scheduled for next week.
