Former WHSV reporter Ryan O’Connor pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of child pornography and using a computer to facilitate sex with underage girls.
O’Connor had worked for the Winchester, VA ABC-affiliate as a weekend reporter and videojournalist. He was arrested in 2009 and charged with four counts of child pornography, one count of taking indecent liberties with a child and one count of using a computer related to those crimes.
WHSV terminated O’Connor’s employment shortly after his arrest.
According to Northern Virginia Daily, O’Connor has entered into a plea deal that reduces the counts of possession of child pornography from second to first offenses. He still faces up to 20 years in prison for sex solicitation via computer and 10 years for the child pornography possession.