Wheel of Fortune contestant DEFENDS Jim Thornton after being caught visiting 'pedophilia' chatroom in incident that got him fired

Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton has been defended by a former contestant after his firing following an incident on a flight in May in which he was photographed by a fellow passenger while looking at a 'pedophilia' chatroom on his laptop.

Thornton, 61, was also pictured being in 'panic' after being caught on the site aboard the American Airlines plane at the time.

Now, a former Wheel of Fortune contestant named Joshua Beach has come to the defense of Thornton as he called him one of his 'heroes' while also saying that people are rushing to brand him a pedophile before all facts are known.

Beach - who appeared in an October 2022 episode of Wheel of Fortune - took to his Facebook on Saturday to make a lengthy post which began: 'I've said for years that Jim Thornton is one of my heroes. His career and his voice were a huge part of what encouraged me to pursue voice-over and acting myself. Seeing what has happened over the last several days has been genuinely difficult for me to process.

'I've seen the photographs. I've read what was reportedly on that chatroom. Some of it is disturbing, and I'm not going to minimize that or pretend it doesn't bother me.

'But I'm also not comfortable watching the internet take a series of photographs and immediately turn them into a complete judgment of another human being.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to Thornton and his attorney for comment but has yet to hear back. 

Days ago, Thornton's lawyer Allison Hart said that the television personality has visited the site as a mistake as he often visited a suicide prevention website named 988lifeline.org and its chat forum, chat.988lifeline.org. 

Thornton claims he was sent a link to a different chatroom, lifeline.chat, by an acquaintance from the suicide prevention group. The site is intended for people experiencing pedophilic thoughts. Thornton claims he left the chatroom after realizing what it was.

The Wheel of Fortune contestant Beach brought up his lawyer's explanation in the post as he wrote: 'Jim's attorney has given an explanation for why he was on that site. People can believe that explanation or question it. Sony conducted its own investigation and decided to fire him. Those are facts that deserve to be acknowledged.

'It is also a fact that law enforcement met his flight, questioned him, and he was not arrested or charged with a crime. And that distinction matters to me.'

Beach went on to explain that he may feel 'particularly strong' about this subject as he understands what it is like for an accusation to be thrown out and people going on to act like it is evidence.

He continued by writing: 'I'm not saying I know Jim is innocent. I wasn't on that airplane, I haven't seen every piece of evidence, and I don't know what was in his head. But the people calling him a pedophile with absolute certainty don't know those things either.'

Beach explained that 'innocent until proven guilty' shouldn't be something thrown around and that judgement should be withheld until the actual truth comes to light.

He concluded: 'If evidence eventually establishes that Jim did something criminal or harmed someone, then I'll have to reconcile that with the person I've admired for so many years. 

'But I'm not going to retroactively erase what his work meant to me, pretend he didn't inspire me, or declare someone guilty of something this serious because the internet has already reached its verdict. 

'I don't know exactly what happened. And right now, I think being willing to say "I don't know" is a hell of a lot more responsible than pretending that I do. I wish he could see this so he could know he isn’t universally hated.'

The post came after Thornton was fired from Wheel of Fortune after he was photographed looking at a 'pedophilia' chatroom on his laptop. 

Sony Pictures Television announced the news in a statement on Friday afternoon -four days after the popular announcer was suspended from the program. 

'Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with Wheel of Fortune has been terminated, effective immediately,' a representative told the Daily Mail. 

Earlier on Friday, the Daily Mail obtained images allegedly taken by a fellow passenger on board an American Airlines flight in May showing Thornton visiting the site on board the aircraft.

A close-up of the computer screen shows disturbing messages, including one participant describing a restaurant as 'a nice hangout for kids', and mentioning a 'couple of cute boys and a hot little girl.'

Another unsettling message reads, 'All-you-can-eat Boyffet.' There is also a message referencing 'CP' which the passenger who took the photos believed to be short for 'child pornography.' 

From the timestamps on the photos – which show Thornton wearing a Wheel of Fortune jacket – it appears he was in the chatroom for at least 57 minutes.

As mentioned earlier Thornton's lawyer, Allison Hart, told TMZ that the voice actor clicked on the site by mistake. 

Hours after he was fired, Thornton's Facebook account was no longer publicly accessible. The account was active earlier that day and featured behind-the-scenes photos and videos of Thornton on the popular game show set.

Thornton's name and photos were also removed from the show's social media channels.

Hart said that Thornton had 'become active in suicide-prevention advocacy since losing a close family member to suicide two years ago, and he has spent time visiting chat rooms offering support to individuals suffering from suicidal ideation.' 

Hart said that Thornton often visited a suicide prevention website named 988lifeline.org and its chat forum, chat.988lifeline.org. 

Thornton claims he was sent a link to a different chatroom, lifeline.chat, by an acquaintance from the suicide prevention group. The site is intended for people experiencing pedophilic thoughts. 

Thornton claims he left the chatroom after realizing what it was. 

His lawyer added that the website he visited is 'not unlawful, there is no unlawful child pornography or other pedophilic content, and my client never viewed, downloaded or consumed any child pornography whether on that commercial flight in May or at any other time.' 

Hart said that the announcer 'did not engage in any illegal conduct, was not arrested, and has not been charged with any crime.' 

The attorney claimed: 'When questioned about the complaint made by a fellow passenger on the flight, law enforcement spoke to him for five minutes or less, immediately determined that no wrongdoing had occurred and told my client he was free to go.' 

According to TMZ, another passenger allegedly complained about Thornton to a flight attendant back on the American Airlines plane back in May. 

The plane's pilot arranged to have law enforcement waiting for Thornton once he reached the gate.

Thornton was questioned by the officers before he was allowed to go on his way. 

In a statement to the Daily Mail, American Airlines said: 'On May 14, American Airlines Flight 1276 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport following concerns reported by a customer onboard.'

Thornton's tenure with the show began in 2011, when he replaced former announcer Charlie O'Donnell after his death in November 2010 at 78. 

Thornton is rarely seen on the show, which is hosted by Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest.

However, TMZ noted that in 2023 he filled in for then-host Pat Sajak to host a round of the competition because a contestant was hoping to meet him.

Thornton had a brief stint as an announcer on The Price Is Right in 2004. 

He's also done voice work in Disney-Pixar's film Monsters, Inc and the video game adaptation of Wall-E. 

The live-action announcer is best known for appearing on the animated comedy The Cleveland Show and MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch.