Date: September 5th, 2026 2:04 PM
Author: cosmic penis
https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/09/05/wheel-of-fortune-announcer-jim-thornton-fired-after-pedophile-chat-incident/
The announcement came just days after Sony suspended Thornton over allegations made against him — though the company did not provide specific details about the claims, saying only that they related to an incident aboard an American Airlines flight in May from Charlotte, N.C., to Los Angeles.
Back then, TMZ published a series of photos taken inside the plane that appear to show Thornton with his laptop out and on a website called lifeline.chat — an online service that apparently provides mental support to those with pedophilic thoughts.
One message appeared to refer to the eatery, Golden Corral, as “an all-you-can-eat Boyfett” while another mentioned a “Couple of cute boys and a hot little girl.” Other chats included the initials “CP,” which apparently stand for child pornography.
A fellow passenger seemingly caught Thornton on the page and reported his internet activity to a flight attendant. He was met and questioned by authorities when the plane touched down at LAX, but he was not arrested or charged.
In a statement to TMZ, Thornton’s lawyer, Allison Hart, said he was on the page by mistake and that he meant to visit the suicide prevention website, 988lifeline.org.
Thornton has “become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago, and he has spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation,” Hart said, adding that the announcer exited the chatroom when he realized his mistake.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5900889&forum_id=2/#50117631)