Fairfax County police confirmed Tuesday that Rick Saleeby, a former senior producer for CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper, is under investigation by the department’s Child Exploitation Squad.
UPDATE: After the publication of this story, a CNN spokesman stated Saleeby “resigned from his position weeks ago.” This article has been updated to reflect that he no longer works for the network.
Saleeby’s investigation comes after Project Veritas revealed video and text messages on December 15 that allegedly show him fantasizing about sex acts with his former fiancé’s underaged daughter.
Project Veritas revealed Saleeby’s information two days after their initial report on December 17.
Fairfax County police confirmed Saleeby’s investigation on Tuesday after Project Veritas investigators confronted Saleeby following a court appearance. Saleeby appeared in court to respond to a protective order placed against him by his former fiancé.
The department’s public affairs director, Anthony Guglielmi, said:
The Fairfax County Police Department has launched an investigation into serious allegations involving potential juvenile victims. Detectives assigned to the Child Exploitation Squad of the Major Crimes Bureau are leading the investigation. While we will eventually be transparent about our findings, safeguarding the personal privacy and safety of victims and witnesses as well as maintaining the integrity of our criminal investigation are of paramount importance.
The department declined to give additional details on the scope or nature of the investigation.
Saleeby is not the only former CNN producer under scrutiny for their alleged attraction to minors. Earlier this month, CNN’s John Griffin, who worked for the company for eight years, was arrested on three counts of using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
CNN has not commented on the allegations against Saleeby.
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