Pedophile Chat Room Shut Down After Jim Thornton Incident

The online chat platform associated with pedophilia that led to the termination of former “Wheel of Fortune” announcer Jim Thornton has been taken offline, as confirmed by TMZ.

The site, Lifeline.chat, became a focal point of controversy for Thornton after TMZ obtained images showing him engaged in conversations on the platform during a flight from North Carolina to Los Angeles in May.

As previously reported, a passenger on the flight captured images of Thornton’s laptop screen, revealing messages that raised concerns about child safety. This prompted flight crew members to alert law enforcement upon landing. Despite the incident, Thornton was neither arrested nor charged with any crime.

The captured images suggested that Thornton spent approximately an hour on the site, with visible discussions linked to pedophilia displayed on his screen.

Recent updates indicate that the specific chat room has been removed from Lifeline.chat. The website issued a statement acknowledging the media coverage while denying any involvement in criminal activities, claiming that “LifeLine exists because the world is so incredibly hateful and punitive that minor-attracted people have no other means of support.”

Thornton’s legal representative insists that he was trying to reach a suicide-prevention forum when he accidentally ended up on the site. The attorney has also refuted claims that Thornton viewed, downloaded, or possessed any child pornography.

Following an internal inquiry into the incident, Sony Pictures Television made the decision to terminate Thornton’s employment. He had served as the announcer for “Wheel of Fortune” since 2011.