Washington Post editor charged with possessing child pornography

A video editor for The Washington Post was arrested Thursday on a federal charge of possessing child pornography, according to prosecutors.Thomas P. LeGro, 48, who has worked at the Post for 18 years across two stints since 2000, was detained following his initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge in D.C. on Friday. He will remain in custody until a detention hearing next Wednesday.Court documents unsealed Friday revealed that during a search of LeGro’s home, FBI agents recovered an Apple MacBook laptop containing 11 videos depicting child pornography. Prosecutors said the device was LeGro’s work computer.Charging papers indicate LeGro was linked to an account identified as early as 2005 in an investigation into E-Gold, an online payment system used by child pornography websites. A 2006 subpoena tied LeGro to the account, along with two other accounts sharing his address and phone number. However, it remains unclear what happened in that earlier inquiry or why the FBI reopened the case, which led to new surveillance of LeGro’s internet activity in May 2025.LeGro faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The Washington Post released a statement acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations and confirmed LeGro has been placed on leave but declined to comment further.LeGro was appointed deputy video editor in February 2024 and was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in 2018.