A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist’s career is mired in controversy following charges of child pornography possession.
At a Glance
- Thomas Pham LeGro, a deputy director of video at The Washington Post, has been arrested on a federal charge of possessing child pornography.
- FBI agents reportedly found eleven videos containing child sexual abuse material on his work-issued laptop during a search of his home.
- LeGro, 49, was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for investigative reporting.
- The Washington Post has placed LeGro on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.
A Pulitzer-Winning Journalist Charged
Thomas Pham LeGro, 49, an award-winning journalist and deputy director of video for The Washington Post, has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. The charges were announced Thursday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia following an FBI raid on his Washington, D.C. home.
The case involves a respected journalist with a nearly two-decade career at one of the nation’s most prestigious newspapers, sending shockwaves through the media industry.
The Federal Investigation
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, the investigation began after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. On Thursday, June 26, 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at LeGro’s residence.
During the search, authorities discovered eleven videos containing child sexual abuse material on LeGro’s work-issued laptop computer. Several other electronic devices, including a fragmented hard drive, were also seized as evidence. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the nationwide Project Safe Childhood initiative.
An Esteemed Career in Jeopardy
The arrest threatens to overshadow a long and decorated career in journalism. LeGro has been with The Washington Post for 18 years and was part of the reporting team that won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for its work uncovering sexual misconduct allegations against former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.
The Washington Post has placed LeGro on administrative leave. In announcing the charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office included the standard and important legal reminder: “Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
