Broward County, Florida — A Florida man has been arrested in connection with the child sexual abuse materials investigation into suspended Charleston County Magistrate Judge James Gosnell, according to court records.
John Badger Thorpe, 56, was arrested in Broward County, Florida, on Sunday and charged with possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court records, Thorpe is the previously undisclosed second defendant in the indictment filed against Gosnell on October 21.
Editor’s note: Some readers may find the descriptions of the alleged crimes objectionable.
The indictment against Gosnell and Thorpe alleges that the two conspired to disseminate CSAM between them, with Gosnell leaving a USB drive containing the material with Thorpe for the Fort Lauderdale man to return to the magistrate judge by FedEx. According to court filings, the two discussed their sexual preferences for youngsters, including age and CSAM, over the encrypted messaging app Telegram, and also discussed intentions to “meet with other pedophiles to rape and torture a prepubescent minor.”
Gosnell was arraigned in Charleston County on October 23 and remains in prison. Thorpe appeared during a hearing regarding his removal to South Carolina, where the indictment was unsealed. Thorpe’s preliminary hearing is planned for Friday, November 14.
