TWO-TIME JEOPARDY CHAMP JOEY DESENA IS ARRESTED AGAIN
Joey DeSena, who called his Jeopardy! run a “literal dream come true,” was arrested again on October 23, 2026.
The 44-year-old development engineer from Raleigh was arrested in Wake County, North Carolina, on 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
On the game show, he won two nights in a row and later reached the semifinals of the Champions Wildcard tournament. He praised the crew and his fellow contestants.
The New York Post reported that the arrest warrant alleged possession of sexually explicit pictures and videos featuring children. Those are allegations at this stage.
WBTV said he was booked into the Wake County jail. A judge denied bond at his initial hearing on October 26, 2026, and he stayed in custody.
The arrest came after an earlier one on felony secret-peeping charges. Those charges arose from allegations that he recorded a female in a bedroom and bathroom.
DeSena pleaded guilty to the peeping charges on July 27, 2026. He was sentenced to 60 months of probation, ordered to complete community service and told to undergo a mental-health assessment.
Court records recommended that the assessment be done by a psychiatrist or psychologist specializing in psychosexual treatment, WBTV said.
DeSena is scheduled to return to court on the new charges on November 16, 2026.
