Ex-CNN producer John Griffin has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors on child sexual abuse charges in Vermont.
Griffin, 45, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Burlington to one of the three charges brought against him of “using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to persuade, induce, entice or coerce a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity,” according to court filings.
“John Griffin agrees to plead guilty because he is, in fact, guilty of the above crime,” says the 13-page plea agreement filed Monday.
The two remaining charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal.
A sentencing hearing is set for March. As part of a plea deal, the judge could impose a penalty of not less than 10 years and up to the remainder of his life, the filing stated.
Judge William K. Sessions III ordered the federal probation office to conduct a pre-sentencing investigation prior to the hearing in March.
Griffin, formerly of Stamford, Connecticut, pleaded not guilty in December 2021 to three charges of using a computer and social media platform to attempt to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity. He has been held in custody since that hearing, awaiting trial.
According to charging documents, Griffin was accused of luring a mother and her 9-year-old daughter from Nevada in July 2020, paying more than $3,000 for their travel to a home he had in Ludlow, where he forced the girl into unlawful sexual acts.
He also was accused of unsuccessfully trying to lure other parents online to come to Vermont with their daughters, according to the indictment. Griffin, a veteran CNN producer, was fired from his job with the cable news network after his arrest.
As part of the plea deal, Griffin would be required to register as a sex offender if released and he agreed to forfeit to the federal government his share of proceeds on the sale of the Ludlow home, as well as Tesla and Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Neither David Kirby, Griffin’s lawyer, nor Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher, the prosecutor, could not be reached after the hearing for comment.