Two-time Jeopardy! winner Joey DeSena has been arrested on 10 felony child exploitation charges, three months after receiving probation for secretly installing cameras in a vacation rental.
Philip Joseph “Joey” DeSena, 44, of Raleigh, was arrested in Wake County, North Carolina, on October 23. He faces 10 felony counts involving the alleged duplication of material depicting the abuse of children, according to court records reported by WBTV.
Investigators accuse him of copying digital image and video files depicting the abuse of children. The alleged conduct dates to November 2025, before the probation sentence imposed in his separate secret-peeping case.
A judge denied DeSena bond at an October 26 hearing. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 16. The new charges remain pending.
New Warrants Accuse DeSena of Copying Images and Videos
The arrest warrants were issued on October 22, one day before DeSena was taken into custody. They concern multiple image and video files depicting abusive acts involving children whom investigators estimated were between 7 and 15 years old, according to USA TODAY.
Second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor is a Class E felony under the law published by the North Carolina General Assembly. The statute includes duplicating such material while knowing its character or content.
Hidden Cameras Were Discovered in a Beach Rental
The earlier case began in Corolla, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. A woman staying at a rental property for a wedding discovered two black USB wall chargers containing hidden cameras on October 10, 2025.
The cameras had been placed in a bedroom and bathroom. Prosecutors described the discovery during the case, according to WAVY’s reporting cited by PEOPLE.
A Currituck County warrant accused DeSena of installing the devices to capture images of another person without consent. Authorities obtained the warrant on November 26, and he surrendered on December 1.
He was released two days later after posting a $5,000 bond. A subsequent indictment, returned on January 20, 2026, identified the Corolla property as the location of the alleged peeping.
His Guilty Plea Resulted in Five Years of Probation
DeSena pleaded guilty to both felony secret-peeping counts on July 27, 2026. Under the plea agreement, he received 60 months of probation and was not required to register as a sex offender, according to court documents reviewed by WBTV.
The sentence also required 100 hours of community service and a mental health assessment or evaluation. The court recommended that a psychiatrist or psychologist specializing in psychosexual treatment conduct that assessment.
Additional conditions included continuing treatment for 12 months and having no contact with the victim, USA TODAY reported, citing court documents.
DeSena Won Two Games Before Returning for Champions Wildcard
DeSena appeared on Jeopardy! as a development engineer from Raleigh. He won on November 11 and 12, 2024, earning a combined $44,698, before losing his third game on November 13.
He returned for Champions Wildcard on January 16, 2025. The official Jeopardy! tournament records show that he defeated Mehal Shah and Eamonn Campbell in his quarterfinal, finishing with a score of $24,000.
His tournament run ended in the January 20 semifinal. Drew Goins won that match, while Jen Feldman placed second and DeSena finished third.