00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Sunday, September 13th. Surely you heard the story. It was everywhere. The Wheel of Fortune announcer fired after he was caught on a commercial flight looking through a pedophile chat room on his laptop. But get this. The organizers of that pedophile chat room defending their right to exist. I'm curious to hear this myself, actually. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robes, this is not one I did a deep dive on. Didn't want to, necessarily. But they have come out, and am I saying that right? Defending their right to exist?
00:00:40
Speaker 2: Babe, this is actually jaw-dropping. Yes, this pedophile chat room was and took, decided to take the opportunity of Jim Thornton's exposure and firing to basically defend its right to exist and lash out at people who who are labeling folks who like children sexually as pedophiles.
00:01:08
Speaker 1: Okay, is it, can I ask a point of clarity here? Are you technically not unless you act on it? Seriously.
00:01:17
Speaker 2: They are saying that, and here's what really the incendiary part is that got a lot of folks up in arms. They're actually describing people who go on this chat room as minor attracted people. So we're actually giving them some sort of sexual preference label that has completely pissed off folks, as it rightly should, in my opinion, because it's like, don't rush to judgment. These people aren't pedophiles. They're just minor attracted people.
00:01:48
Speaker 1: What does that mean? Baby, what is a pedophile? Seriously, what is a pedophile?
00:01:53
Speaker 2: I would say someone who's sexually attracted to children.
00:01:56
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:01:57
Speaker 2: Is there.
00:01:58
Speaker 1: And I'm making sure I'm not parsing words. We're having some semantical disagreement here. Me and the folks here, not you and me. Are they trying to make some clarification, like you aren't technically classified unless, what, you charge with a crime or you act on it?
00:02:15
Speaker 2: Yes, they're saying that you aren't doing anything wrong, that you can't help how you're born, you can't help how you feel, you can't help who you're attracted to.
00:02:24
Speaker 1: Now, is there medical... research out there that says, yes, in fact, some people are just wired this way.
00:02:33
Speaker 2: I do believe that's my understanding. I don't have a full breadth of knowledge on all of the science behind it, but it's always been my understanding that in the same way people say I was born attracted to men, that that was something I can't change. And certainly you hear that from the gay community as well, that you're born a certain way. I was born this way. But we aren't willing to assign that to pedophiles because obviously of how harmful and dangerous it is to have that kind of attraction. But they're claiming that that we should be treating all of these people, including Jim Thornton, who hasn't been accused of actually doing anything to a minor or doing anything criminal to a minor, that he should also be given this grace that, yes, people are born like this and they can't do anything about it, so this is a safe space for them to... talk about it, but I'm sorry. When you see what Jim Thornton was writing, when you hear what other people were writing, it doesn't feel like a safe space to me. It feels like it's normalizing something that likely or oftentimes turns into something criminal and destructive, ruins lives, ruins children's lives. So I don't think it's fair to apply the same standards and act as if being minor attracted is a sexual orientation. It might technically be, I guess, from a medical standpoint. but it has so many other implications and ramifications that I don't think it's fair to say what the, we'll read their whole statement and I would, because I don't think you have, right? Okay, so this will be interesting and I would imagine most people listening to this podcast have not taken the time to read Lifeline's entire statement, but it's so important that we do because this is actually, it's, On one hand, it's fascinating. On the other hand, it's deeply disturbing. And on the other hand, it's angering. It'll make you mad as a parent. It will.
00:04:31
Speaker 1: Is it also something we need to try to better understand?
00:04:34
Speaker 2: Maybe.
00:04:34
Speaker 1: Not bring into some mainstream and act as if it's okay, but if these are sick folks that need to, excuse me, I shouldn't use that word, sick folks. This is how they claim they came out.
00:04:45
Speaker 2: But it is sick. It is sick. I'm sorry, but it is.
00:04:49
Speaker 1: Well, I can't, hmm. I know there's history. I know there's world history of girls being married young. I know there's history all over the world.
00:05:00
Speaker 2: It's not because the girls wanted to.
00:05:02
Speaker 1: I can tell you that much. The idea that we want to suggest that this is okay is where I am having a problem.
00:05:13
Speaker 2: That this chat room's okay. I don't think it's okay.
00:05:15
Speaker 1: And I guess everybody listening probably hasn't read it, but everybody's listening now. Probably is familiar with the story by now. Jim Thornton, a couple weeks ago, seen on a plane. He's the announcer on Wheel of Fortune. Been there for 15, 16 years. But these pictures came out of him sitting on the plane, open laptop in a chat room. You could read clearly what was being said. They eventually fire him and now Lifeline, is that what it's called?
00:05:43
Speaker 2: It's called Lifeline.
00:05:44
Speaker 1: Lifeline is coming out and What, Robes? Are they seeing this? They're not trying to promote something, are they?
00:05:52
Speaker 2: They're trying to defend their existence and their right to be online and the need for their chat room. Okay.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: I'm listening. All right.
00:06:01
Speaker 2: Let's break it down because it's a long statement, but I'm telling you, when you hear it, you're going to have thoughts. It begins... Lifeline is aware of mainstream media coverage following its alleged use by a TV celebrity on an airplane. Since the news broke, we have been overwhelmed with visitors, both well-intentioned and otherwise. We make this statement to clarify our purpose and explain the need for such a service. Lifeline operates a support chat room for people attracted to children and adolescents. We have strict rules against any kind of illicit behavior, including the sharing of criminalized images. Those who violate the rules are swiftly banned and their messages removed as soon as possible. I'm going to stop there because among the messages that Jim Thornton is alleged to have written was talking about child porn and even kind of getting a thrill on being on the website and teasing that maybe he'd go to another one where he could pull up the gallery. So, ew. I just want that to be known.
00:07:09
Speaker 1: So use the word for a restaurant where they saw attractive boys. It's a boyfay. Yes. Yes. That doesn't sound like a support group.
00:07:17
Speaker 2: It does not sound like a support group at all.
00:07:20
Speaker 1: All right.
00:07:20
Speaker 2: The statement continues. Many commentators ask why a place like Lifeline even exists. It exists because most people attracted to minors are fully capable of behaving responsibly, yet extremely distressed by the stigmatization of their feelings.
00:07:39
Speaker 1: Are they concerned about their actual feelings? I'm saying as a pedophile, which I looked up the word. Yes, you qualify. You don't have to commit a crime to be a pedophile. You just have to be attracted to children. That's it.
00:07:51
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:07:51
Speaker 1: Robes. So I don't, the support part of it is throwing me. The support, like it seems like, Robes, there should be a support group for people who struggle with this. But my question for you there was, do they feel like something's wrong with them for doing this? Or are they only bothered that society doesn't like that?
00:08:14
Speaker 2: I think it's the latter of the two.
00:08:15
Speaker 1: That's what it sounds like it was written.
00:08:16
Speaker 2: That's what it sounds like to me. And when you read the chat room or some of the conversation that was going on that Jim Thornton was on, It certainly sounded like that to me as well.
00:08:24
Speaker 1: Babe, this was playful. This wasn't, oh my goodness, I can't stop this. How did you all get through this? Is there a technique you have? No, no, no, no. They were celebrating. Ooh, I saw some hot boys and a hot little girl over at the Golden Corral last night.
00:08:37
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:08:37
Speaker 1: What the actual hell?
00:08:38
Speaker 2: So that is where I got so angry reading this because I think it was such an unfair characterization of what's going on in that chat room. All right, it continues. They need a place to talk, ensuring better mental health. leading to more positive outcomes for themselves and their communities. As a support service, we do not encourage users to feel shame over a sexual orientation that can never be changed. We believe that affirming their feelings while encouraging responsible and lawful behavior is the best way forward. To this end, we allow messages that the public may consider offensive so long as they do not cross legal boundaries or put anyone at risk of harm. And via this methodology, we have successfully diverted users from making bad decisions that would have endangered themselves or others. When they actually are Via this methodology, we have successfully diverted users from making bad decisions that would have endangered themselves or others.
00:09:43
Speaker 1: Robes. They're saying everybody here is on the cusp of going out there and actually assaulting a child, so we're trying to keep them from doing that? Am I hearing you correctly?
00:09:53
Speaker 2: That is exactly what they're saying. And by the way, I'm sorry, having Jim Thornton or anybody give a location where you can find families having dinners and gawk at hot kids to me is not getting people to, um, have responsible and lawful behavior. So this, like I was getting fired up as I read each line, it continues. Um, Unfortunately, there is no safe way for minor attracted people. Yeah, let's just call them pedophiles, but no, they want to call them minor attracted people to access professional support in the majority of cases. There is a severe risk of being reported to authorities simply for disclosing one's feelings. Who would seek therapy under the real threat of being outed and shunned as a pedophile? This metaphorical lynching of the celebrity who allegedly visit our chat illustrates this clearly. So they're actually using the firing of Jim Thornton to defend their right to exist because it just proves that if anyone admits that they are attracted to children, they lose everything.
00:11:02
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:11:03
Speaker 2: You don't want those people hiding in plain sight. You don't want those people to have access to your children. And yes, I think every parent would like to know if someone who their children are around Have these thoughts. Yes, I want to know.
00:11:22
Speaker 1: I am blown away by this.
00:11:24
Speaker 2: I knew you would be. It continues.
00:11:25
Speaker 1: Oh, please.
00:11:26
Speaker 2: It continues. This is the last paragraph. And this one is a doozy. Lifeline exists precisely because the world is so incredibly hateful and punitive that minor attracted people have no other means of support. This desperately needs to change. Those who would argue otherwise do not have anyone's best interests in mind. What the actual F?
00:11:54
Speaker 1: Is it possible, Robes? Is there a support group? Here is my problem, Robes. Nothing in there suggests that there's anything wrong with being attracted to kids.
00:12:07
Speaker 2: Exactly. And that we're the hateful people for judging them for something they haven't acted on.
00:12:14
Speaker 1: Robes, there are pictures.
00:12:15
Speaker 2: Yet would be the answer. It would be the word I would want to use.
00:12:18
Speaker 1: Robes, there are pictures. And Wheel of Fortune still has a live studio audience, right?
00:12:22
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:12:23
Speaker 1: Family friendly.
00:12:24
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:12:25
Speaker 1: I have seen pictures, I'm pretty sure, of kids in the announcer booth. You want to normalize what? You want to come out and say, you know what? Yes, this guy has a thing and he's attracted to kids, but it's understandable. What family is going to walk into the Wheel of Fortune studio again? You're telling me there's a guy in here who, he's got it under control, but he might be attracted to your seven-year-old boy. But he's cool. Obviously. What are they talking about here, Robes? And I do think, Robes, this is a real issue and people need help and support and could stop crimes down the road. Let's do that thing. But we have to acknowledge that the thing is wrong.
00:13:06
Speaker 2: The thing is wrong and going into a chat room where you've got other people who also are attracted to young people joking and laughing about how kids are hot, about how they're going to go to another site and access child porn. Are you kidding me? How is that helping or keeping anyone safe? You are normalizing it because now if you've got like-minded people, you don't feel so alone. You don't feel like it's so wrong or so strange because look, here are dozens of other people who think the same thing i do and now i don't feel so bad about myself and the truth is if you had a support group or you had any sort of place for these folks to go where they were getting real help that would be different that is not what we saw on those pages in that chat and nowhere in.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: The statement do they address though the actual chat do they No. And what was being talked about.
00:13:53
Speaker 2: In the actual chat. They only vaguely reference it by saying some of what other people, like if you are reading this, you might find it offensive, but we have found that this is helpful in stopping folks from actually acting on their feelings. Really?
00:14:07
Speaker 1: I don't buy it. Golden Corral, a nice hangout for kids. Saw a couple of cute boys and a hot little girl. Response, all you can eat, boyfay. Huh?
00:14:19
Speaker 2: How is that helping them or stopping them from acting on their feelings. I call BS on that.
00:14:29
Speaker 1: Wait until I fire up boy moment and start looking at the galleries. He, he.
00:14:34
Speaker 2: Yes. On the plane, he is, that is Jim Thornton, according to the woman who took the, or the passenger who took the photos. That was his handle that said that. He thought it was funny that he was on the chat room on an airplane and he was thinking about maybe even going into child porn galleries.
00:14:54
Speaker 1: Just don't be the guy that got arrested getting off the tube because he had CP on his phone wallpaper. They're advising you not to get caught with child pornography. What I'm saying, Robes, is the support group looks different than this. Support, like, yes, I saw these kids, and I couldn't believe I was looking at them in this restaurant. How do you all handle it when you have these moments?
00:15:17
Speaker 2: Hmm.
00:15:18
Speaker 1: This is playful. This isn't just normalizing.
00:15:20
Speaker 2: It's encouraging. It's encouraging is what it is to me. That's what I see in those chat rooms. So when we come back, we'll give you a sampling of some of the reaction and tell you about even more fallout for Jim Thornton.
00:15:41
Speaker 1: Say the line again, Robes. Hey, welcome back, everybody. What the minor attracted? What's the line they're trying to use?
00:15:46
Speaker 2: There is no safe way for minor attracted people to access professional support in the majority of cases. Minor attracted people. Are you kidding me? So yes, the reaction, people writing in referring to this like it's a sexual preference. It's news to me that pedophilia is considered a sexual orientation. What the fuck? People just say stupid shit and try to pass it off as something that's real. This is sexual perversion or derangement, plain and simple.
00:16:15
Speaker 1: I wrote that one.
00:16:17
Speaker 2: Another one, laughing my ass off. It's unreal how they wrote down their response to the media. So are we supposed to say, oh, okay, now we get it. Should Wheel of Fortune rehire the guy then? Oh my God, stop the nonsense. Any parent will be extremely offended that any of these individuals place their eyes on one of their kids. Man. I mean, look, you get a parent to read that statement with a young child, an indefensible, sweet, innocent young child. I actually feel my skin prickling and I actually feel rage when I read that. And I think that's what a lot of folks are feeling when they not only knew that Jim Thornton was in this chat room, but that this chat room had the gall to say, no, y'all are getting it wrong. This is actually a good thing. This is good that we're doing this. It's good that we're talking about being attracted to minors. This is helpful.
00:17:08
Speaker 1: All you can eat, boyfay. Don't tell me you're trying to get this under control and need a support group. All you can eat, boyfay. We got babies. We ain't trying to listen to this foolishness. Still, come on, man. I can be open if somebody came out and said, I don't know what to do. I don't know why I have these feelings. I don't know what to do about it. I've been trying to get help. All you can eat, boy, Faye. That's not trying to get help.
00:17:33
Speaker 2: Exactly. And you know what? I know they're saying we shouldn't shame these people. Yes, that is shameful. You should feel, I'm sorry. And because of that shame and knowing that you would be doing irreparable harm to somebody if you were to act on your sexual preference, that is not okay. You need to find a way to get it under control, but it doesn't involve being buoyed up and supported by other people who have this same horrific, awful, harmful behavior. I don't know. I mean, I guess I even hate to say sexual preference. I know that's what they're saying, but yeah, you're a pedophile and that's wrong.
00:18:13
Speaker 1: What I'm saying is I didn't realize, babe, that anybody would come out and suggest that pedophilia is not wrong. Even if you don't have any control over it, that might be very well true.
00:18:28
Speaker 2: It might be true.
00:18:30
Speaker 1: But we are not acknowledging it. that this is something that's dangerous and harmful and actually could put children, every kid, at risk. That is where they lost us. I was shocked about the Jim Thornton thing. I was shocked to learn that he would do this on a plane. I was shocked that this thing even existed. Now I'm pissed.
00:18:52
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:18:53
Speaker 1: Now this is different. Same. This is different now. Their statement now puts this in a different level to where I think... there is a danger out there because you guys are actually defending this.
00:19:02
Speaker 2: Exactly. I actually got, I went from being alarmed to being deeply concerned that this is going on. And that's why I really wanted to read the entire statement. So people knew and people know what's happening, what's going on out there. Now there was more fallout for Jim Thornton beyond just getting fired from wheel of fortune. His Alma mater is officially dense distancing itself from him. A Marshall university, uh, They removed all references to Thornton from its website because guess what? They had web pages on their site celebrating him as its 2026 spring commencement speaker. He was the commencement speaker for Marshall University this year. The year before, in 2025, he was the homecoming grand Marshall. And now all of those pages that were there link, uh, lead to error pages. They've deleted him from everything. He deleted his Facebook account and all of his social media. But look, this is, that's how serious this is. And the fact that he was around college students, even maybe those were too old for him. You know, I probably, maybe they were safe, but that's so concerning.
00:20:10
Speaker 1: Robes, we said Grand Marshal last year of what?
00:20:13
Speaker 2: Of the homecoming Grand Marshal.
00:20:15
Speaker 1: Okay, Robes, he took pictures, I am sure, with a ton of kids. How many times over the past 15 years has a kid visited and walked into that booth? Every one of those parents right now is having a conversation with their kids. They're fucking outraged and they might be calling lawyers. Robes, the idea of that?
00:20:34
Speaker 2: It's beyond disturbing.
00:20:35
Speaker 1: Oh, man. What more fallout could there possibly be? Robes? He spoke to schools before, maybe.
00:20:44
Speaker 2: Oh, of course he did.
00:20:45
Speaker 1: Robes.
00:20:46
Speaker 2: Of course he did. And look, we didn't know his name necessarily before this, but he had access. He had a platform. He was the guy for those who grew up with him, knew him, went to school with him. I know the announcer for Wheel of Fortune. So yes, he was granted access. He was given accolades. He was given a platform and And to think that he was laughing on a plane about being on a pedophile chat room and the thrill of it. He was excited about it, as you pointed out, was even considering just for the fun of it, going on to another page where he could access child porn. This is awful.
00:21:24
Speaker 1: You know, OJ Simpson was accused of double murder. And if you take a poll right now, I'd probably say 85% of people at least would say, yeah. believe he killed those two people. He was still doing autograph signings. He was still doing all kinds of stuff before he went to prison again. What I'm saying is, Robes, people were more comfortable being around him than they would a pedophile.
00:21:50
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
00:21:51
Speaker 1: Robes, there is no space for this kind of stuff.
00:21:54
Speaker 2: There is not.
00:21:55
Speaker 1: If we want to have a more mature conversation, Lifeline, you should have put out a different statement, I would argue. But you're not helping us have the conversation that maybe we do need to have after something like that.
00:22:03
Speaker 2: Agreed. So I know Lifeline probably thinks they were doing a service to the folks on that chat room that they were defending Jim Thornton and actually saying that his firing was an example of our tendency to vilify folks who haven't done anything wrong. But I think most people who are listening, anyone who's a parent, feels like just having those thoughts and being in a room joyfully and gleefully describing them is wrong.
00:22:30
Speaker 1: There you go. To suggest he hasn't done anything wrong is not okay.
00:22:36
Speaker 2: Agreed.
00:22:36
Speaker 1: Okay, so if he was doing it in a private chat room, but he was doing it in a very public way, baby.
00:22:41
Speaker 2: And he got a thrill out of it. That was the deeply concerning thing about it.
00:22:44
Speaker 1: Who could do this on a plane, baby? I hide my emails.
00:22:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, if he does this on a plane, what does he do in his bedroom?
00:22:50
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ.
00:22:53
Speaker 2: I think it's not done yet. No, oh no. And we need to have these conversations because this is really scary to hear Lifeline put out a statement like this. We do need more conversations. We do need more understanding. But we also need there to be an absolute acknowledgement that this is not okay and that this is dangerous behavior. All right, with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach, alongside TJ Holmes.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Sunday, September 13th. Surely you heard the story. It was everywhere. The Wheel of Fortune announcer fired after he was caught on a commercial flight looking through a pedophile chat room on his laptop. But get this. The organizers of that pedophile chat room defending their right to exist. I'm curious to hear this myself, actually. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robes, this is not one I did a deep dive on. Didn't want to, necessarily. But they have come out, and am I saying that right? Defending their right to exist?
00:00:40
Speaker 2: Babe, this is actually jaw-dropping. Yes, this pedophile chat room was and took, decided to take the opportunity of Jim Thornton's exposure and firing to basically defend its right to exist and lash out at people who who are labeling folks who like children sexually as pedophiles.
00:01:08
Speaker 1: Okay, is it, can I ask a point of clarity here? Are you technically not unless you act on it? Seriously.
00:01:17
Speaker 2: They are saying that, and here's what really the incendiary part is that got a lot of folks up in arms. They're actually describing people who go on this chat room as minor attracted people. So we're actually giving them some sort of sexual preference label that has completely pissed off folks, as it rightly should, in my opinion, because it's like, don't rush to judgment. These people aren't pedophiles. They're just minor attracted people.
00:01:48
Speaker 1: What does that mean? Baby, what is a pedophile? Seriously, what is a pedophile?
00:01:53
Speaker 2: I would say someone who's sexually attracted to children.
00:01:56
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:01:57
Speaker 2: Is there.
00:01:58
Speaker 1: And I'm making sure I'm not parsing words. We're having some semantical disagreement here. Me and the folks here, not you and me. Are they trying to make some clarification, like you aren't technically classified unless, what, you charge with a crime or you act on it?
00:02:15
Speaker 2: Yes, they're saying that you aren't doing anything wrong, that you can't help how you're born, you can't help how you feel, you can't help who you're attracted to.
00:02:24
Speaker 1: Now, is there medical... research out there that says, yes, in fact, some people are just wired this way.
00:02:33
Speaker 2: I do believe that's my understanding. I don't have a full breadth of knowledge on all of the science behind it, but it's always been my understanding that in the same way people say I was born attracted to men, that that was something I can't change. And certainly you hear that from the gay community as well, that you're born a certain way. I was born this way. But we aren't willing to assign that to pedophiles because obviously of how harmful and dangerous it is to have that kind of attraction. But they're claiming that that we should be treating all of these people, including Jim Thornton, who hasn't been accused of actually doing anything to a minor or doing anything criminal to a minor, that he should also be given this grace that, yes, people are born like this and they can't do anything about it, so this is a safe space for them to... talk about it, but I'm sorry. When you see what Jim Thornton was writing, when you hear what other people were writing, it doesn't feel like a safe space to me. It feels like it's normalizing something that likely or oftentimes turns into something criminal and destructive, ruins lives, ruins children's lives. So I don't think it's fair to apply the same standards and act as if being minor attracted is a sexual orientation. It might technically be, I guess, from a medical standpoint. but it has so many other implications and ramifications that I don't think it's fair to say what the, we'll read their whole statement and I would, because I don't think you have, right? Okay, so this will be interesting and I would imagine most people listening to this podcast have not taken the time to read Lifeline's entire statement, but it's so important that we do because this is actually, it's, On one hand, it's fascinating. On the other hand, it's deeply disturbing. And on the other hand, it's angering. It'll make you mad as a parent. It will.
00:04:31
Speaker 1: Is it also something we need to try to better understand?
00:04:34
Speaker 2: Maybe.
00:04:34
Speaker 1: Not bring into some mainstream and act as if it's okay, but if these are sick folks that need to, excuse me, I shouldn't use that word, sick folks. This is how they claim they came out.
00:04:45
Speaker 2: But it is sick. It is sick. I'm sorry, but it is.
00:04:49
Speaker 1: Well, I can't, hmm. I know there's history. I know there's world history of girls being married young. I know there's history all over the world.
00:05:00
Speaker 2: It's not because the girls wanted to.
00:05:02
Speaker 1: I can tell you that much. The idea that we want to suggest that this is okay is where I am having a problem.
00:05:13
Speaker 2: That this chat room's okay. I don't think it's okay.
00:05:15
Speaker 1: And I guess everybody listening probably hasn't read it, but everybody's listening now. Probably is familiar with the story by now. Jim Thornton, a couple weeks ago, seen on a plane. He's the announcer on Wheel of Fortune. Been there for 15, 16 years. But these pictures came out of him sitting on the plane, open laptop in a chat room. You could read clearly what was being said. They eventually fire him and now Lifeline, is that what it's called?
00:05:43
Speaker 2: It's called Lifeline.
00:05:44
Speaker 1: Lifeline is coming out and What, Robes? Are they seeing this? They're not trying to promote something, are they?
00:05:52
Speaker 2: They're trying to defend their existence and their right to be online and the need for their chat room. Okay.
00:06:00
Speaker 1: I'm listening. All right.
00:06:01
Speaker 2: Let's break it down because it's a long statement, but I'm telling you, when you hear it, you're going to have thoughts. It begins... Lifeline is aware of mainstream media coverage following its alleged use by a TV celebrity on an airplane. Since the news broke, we have been overwhelmed with visitors, both well-intentioned and otherwise. We make this statement to clarify our purpose and explain the need for such a service. Lifeline operates a support chat room for people attracted to children and adolescents. We have strict rules against any kind of illicit behavior, including the sharing of criminalized images. Those who violate the rules are swiftly banned and their messages removed as soon as possible. I'm going to stop there because among the messages that Jim Thornton is alleged to have written was talking about child porn and even kind of getting a thrill on being on the website and teasing that maybe he'd go to another one where he could pull up the gallery. So, ew. I just want that to be known.
00:07:09
Speaker 1: So use the word for a restaurant where they saw attractive boys. It's a boyfay. Yes. Yes. That doesn't sound like a support group.
00:07:17
Speaker 2: It does not sound like a support group at all.
00:07:20
Speaker 1: All right.
00:07:20
Speaker 2: The statement continues. Many commentators ask why a place like Lifeline even exists. It exists because most people attracted to minors are fully capable of behaving responsibly, yet extremely distressed by the stigmatization of their feelings.
00:07:39
Speaker 1: Are they concerned about their actual feelings? I'm saying as a pedophile, which I looked up the word. Yes, you qualify. You don't have to commit a crime to be a pedophile. You just have to be attracted to children. That's it.
00:07:51
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:07:51
Speaker 1: Robes. So I don't, the support part of it is throwing me. The support, like it seems like, Robes, there should be a support group for people who struggle with this. But my question for you there was, do they feel like something's wrong with them for doing this? Or are they only bothered that society doesn't like that?
00:08:14
Speaker 2: I think it's the latter of the two.
00:08:15
Speaker 1: That's what it sounds like it was written.
00:08:16
Speaker 2: That's what it sounds like to me. And when you read the chat room or some of the conversation that was going on that Jim Thornton was on, It certainly sounded like that to me as well.
00:08:24
Speaker 1: Babe, this was playful. This wasn't, oh my goodness, I can't stop this. How did you all get through this? Is there a technique you have? No, no, no, no. They were celebrating. Ooh, I saw some hot boys and a hot little girl over at the Golden Corral last night.
00:08:37
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:08:37
Speaker 1: What the actual hell?
00:08:38
Speaker 2: So that is where I got so angry reading this because I think it was such an unfair characterization of what's going on in that chat room. All right, it continues. They need a place to talk, ensuring better mental health. leading to more positive outcomes for themselves and their communities. As a support service, we do not encourage users to feel shame over a sexual orientation that can never be changed. We believe that affirming their feelings while encouraging responsible and lawful behavior is the best way forward. To this end, we allow messages that the public may consider offensive so long as they do not cross legal boundaries or put anyone at risk of harm. And via this methodology, we have successfully diverted users from making bad decisions that would have endangered themselves or others. When they actually are Via this methodology, we have successfully diverted users from making bad decisions that would have endangered themselves or others.
00:09:43
Speaker 1: Robes. They're saying everybody here is on the cusp of going out there and actually assaulting a child, so we're trying to keep them from doing that? Am I hearing you correctly?
00:09:53
Speaker 2: That is exactly what they're saying. And by the way, I'm sorry, having Jim Thornton or anybody give a location where you can find families having dinners and gawk at hot kids to me is not getting people to, um, have responsible and lawful behavior. So this, like I was getting fired up as I read each line, it continues. Um, Unfortunately, there is no safe way for minor attracted people. Yeah, let's just call them pedophiles, but no, they want to call them minor attracted people to access professional support in the majority of cases. There is a severe risk of being reported to authorities simply for disclosing one's feelings. Who would seek therapy under the real threat of being outed and shunned as a pedophile? This metaphorical lynching of the celebrity who allegedly visit our chat illustrates this clearly. So they're actually using the firing of Jim Thornton to defend their right to exist because it just proves that if anyone admits that they are attracted to children, they lose everything.
00:11:02
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:11:03
Speaker 2: You don't want those people hiding in plain sight. You don't want those people to have access to your children. And yes, I think every parent would like to know if someone who their children are around Have these thoughts. Yes, I want to know.
00:11:22
Speaker 1: I am blown away by this.
00:11:24
Speaker 2: I knew you would be. It continues.
00:11:25
Speaker 1: Oh, please.
00:11:26
Speaker 2: It continues. This is the last paragraph. And this one is a doozy. Lifeline exists precisely because the world is so incredibly hateful and punitive that minor attracted people have no other means of support. This desperately needs to change. Those who would argue otherwise do not have anyone's best interests in mind. What the actual F?
00:11:54
Speaker 1: Is it possible, Robes? Is there a support group? Here is my problem, Robes. Nothing in there suggests that there's anything wrong with being attracted to kids.
00:12:07
Speaker 2: Exactly. And that we're the hateful people for judging them for something they haven't acted on.
00:12:14
Speaker 1: Robes, there are pictures.
00:12:15
Speaker 2: Yet would be the answer. It would be the word I would want to use.
00:12:18
Speaker 1: Robes, there are pictures. And Wheel of Fortune still has a live studio audience, right?
00:12:22
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:12:23
Speaker 1: Family friendly.
00:12:24
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:12:25
Speaker 1: I have seen pictures, I'm pretty sure, of kids in the announcer booth. You want to normalize what? You want to come out and say, you know what? Yes, this guy has a thing and he's attracted to kids, but it's understandable. What family is going to walk into the Wheel of Fortune studio again? You're telling me there's a guy in here who, he's got it under control, but he might be attracted to your seven-year-old boy. But he's cool. Obviously. What are they talking about here, Robes? And I do think, Robes, this is a real issue and people need help and support and could stop crimes down the road. Let's do that thing. But we have to acknowledge that the thing is wrong.
00:13:06
Speaker 2: The thing is wrong and going into a chat room where you've got other people who also are attracted to young people joking and laughing about how kids are hot, about how they're going to go to another site and access child porn. Are you kidding me? How is that helping or keeping anyone safe? You are normalizing it because now if you've got like-minded people, you don't feel so alone. You don't feel like it's so wrong or so strange because look, here are dozens of other people who think the same thing i do and now i don't feel so bad about myself and the truth is if you had a support group or you had any sort of place for these folks to go where they were getting real help that would be different that is not what we saw on those pages in that chat and nowhere in.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: The statement do they address though the actual chat do they No. And what was being talked about.
00:13:53
Speaker 2: In the actual chat. They only vaguely reference it by saying some of what other people, like if you are reading this, you might find it offensive, but we have found that this is helpful in stopping folks from actually acting on their feelings. Really?
00:14:07
Speaker 1: I don't buy it. Golden Corral, a nice hangout for kids. Saw a couple of cute boys and a hot little girl. Response, all you can eat, boyfay. Huh?
00:14:19
Speaker 2: How is that helping them or stopping them from acting on their feelings. I call BS on that.
00:14:29
Speaker 1: Wait until I fire up boy moment and start looking at the galleries. He, he.
00:14:34
Speaker 2: Yes. On the plane, he is, that is Jim Thornton, according to the woman who took the, or the passenger who took the photos. That was his handle that said that. He thought it was funny that he was on the chat room on an airplane and he was thinking about maybe even going into child porn galleries.
00:14:54
Speaker 1: Just don't be the guy that got arrested getting off the tube because he had CP on his phone wallpaper. They're advising you not to get caught with child pornography. What I'm saying, Robes, is the support group looks different than this. Support, like, yes, I saw these kids, and I couldn't believe I was looking at them in this restaurant. How do you all handle it when you have these moments?
00:15:17
Speaker 2: Hmm.
00:15:18
Speaker 1: This is playful. This isn't just normalizing.
00:15:20
Speaker 2: It's encouraging. It's encouraging is what it is to me. That's what I see in those chat rooms. So when we come back, we'll give you a sampling of some of the reaction and tell you about even more fallout for Jim Thornton.
00:15:41
Speaker 1: Say the line again, Robes. Hey, welcome back, everybody. What the minor attracted? What's the line they're trying to use?
00:15:46
Speaker 2: There is no safe way for minor attracted people to access professional support in the majority of cases. Minor attracted people. Are you kidding me? So yes, the reaction, people writing in referring to this like it's a sexual preference. It's news to me that pedophilia is considered a sexual orientation. What the fuck? People just say stupid shit and try to pass it off as something that's real. This is sexual perversion or derangement, plain and simple.
00:16:15
Speaker 1: I wrote that one.
00:16:17
Speaker 2: Another one, laughing my ass off. It's unreal how they wrote down their response to the media. So are we supposed to say, oh, okay, now we get it. Should Wheel of Fortune rehire the guy then? Oh my God, stop the nonsense. Any parent will be extremely offended that any of these individuals place their eyes on one of their kids. Man. I mean, look, you get a parent to read that statement with a young child, an indefensible, sweet, innocent young child. I actually feel my skin prickling and I actually feel rage when I read that. And I think that's what a lot of folks are feeling when they not only knew that Jim Thornton was in this chat room, but that this chat room had the gall to say, no, y'all are getting it wrong. This is actually a good thing. This is good that we're doing this. It's good that we're talking about being attracted to minors. This is helpful.
00:17:08
Speaker 1: All you can eat, boyfay. Don't tell me you're trying to get this under control and need a support group. All you can eat, boyfay. We got babies. We ain't trying to listen to this foolishness. Still, come on, man. I can be open if somebody came out and said, I don't know what to do. I don't know why I have these feelings. I don't know what to do about it. I've been trying to get help. All you can eat, boy, Faye. That's not trying to get help.
00:17:33
Speaker 2: Exactly. And you know what? I know they're saying we shouldn't shame these people. Yes, that is shameful. You should feel, I'm sorry. And because of that shame and knowing that you would be doing irreparable harm to somebody if you were to act on your sexual preference, that is not okay. You need to find a way to get it under control, but it doesn't involve being buoyed up and supported by other people who have this same horrific, awful, harmful behavior. I don't know. I mean, I guess I even hate to say sexual preference. I know that's what they're saying, but yeah, you're a pedophile and that's wrong.
00:18:13
Speaker 1: What I'm saying is I didn't realize, babe, that anybody would come out and suggest that pedophilia is not wrong. Even if you don't have any control over it, that might be very well true.
00:18:28
Speaker 2: It might be true.
00:18:30
Speaker 1: But we are not acknowledging it. that this is something that's dangerous and harmful and actually could put children, every kid, at risk. That is where they lost us. I was shocked about the Jim Thornton thing. I was shocked to learn that he would do this on a plane. I was shocked that this thing even existed. Now I'm pissed.
00:18:52
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:18:53
Speaker 1: Now this is different. Same. This is different now. Their statement now puts this in a different level to where I think... there is a danger out there because you guys are actually defending this.
00:19:02
Speaker 2: Exactly. I actually got, I went from being alarmed to being deeply concerned that this is going on. And that's why I really wanted to read the entire statement. So people knew and people know what's happening, what's going on out there. Now there was more fallout for Jim Thornton beyond just getting fired from wheel of fortune. His Alma mater is officially dense distancing itself from him. A Marshall university, uh, They removed all references to Thornton from its website because guess what? They had web pages on their site celebrating him as its 2026 spring commencement speaker. He was the commencement speaker for Marshall University this year. The year before, in 2025, he was the homecoming grand Marshall. And now all of those pages that were there link, uh, lead to error pages. They've deleted him from everything. He deleted his Facebook account and all of his social media. But look, this is, that's how serious this is. And the fact that he was around college students, even maybe those were too old for him. You know, I probably, maybe they were safe, but that's so concerning.
00:20:10
Speaker 1: Robes, we said Grand Marshal last year of what?
00:20:13
Speaker 2: Of the homecoming Grand Marshal.
00:20:15
Speaker 1: Okay, Robes, he took pictures, I am sure, with a ton of kids. How many times over the past 15 years has a kid visited and walked into that booth? Every one of those parents right now is having a conversation with their kids. They're fucking outraged and they might be calling lawyers. Robes, the idea of that?
00:20:34
Speaker 2: It's beyond disturbing.
00:20:35
Speaker 1: Oh, man. What more fallout could there possibly be? Robes? He spoke to schools before, maybe.
00:20:44
Speaker 2: Oh, of course he did.
00:20:45
Speaker 1: Robes.
00:20:46
Speaker 2: Of course he did. And look, we didn't know his name necessarily before this, but he had access. He had a platform. He was the guy for those who grew up with him, knew him, went to school with him. I know the announcer for Wheel of Fortune. So yes, he was granted access. He was given accolades. He was given a platform and And to think that he was laughing on a plane about being on a pedophile chat room and the thrill of it. He was excited about it, as you pointed out, was even considering just for the fun of it, going on to another page where he could access child porn. This is awful.
00:21:24
Speaker 1: You know, OJ Simpson was accused of double murder. And if you take a poll right now, I'd probably say 85% of people at least would say, yeah. believe he killed those two people. He was still doing autograph signings. He was still doing all kinds of stuff before he went to prison again. What I'm saying is, Robes, people were more comfortable being around him than they would a pedophile.
00:21:50
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
00:21:51
Speaker 1: Robes, there is no space for this kind of stuff.
00:21:54
Speaker 2: There is not.
00:21:55
Speaker 1: If we want to have a more mature conversation, Lifeline, you should have put out a different statement, I would argue. But you're not helping us have the conversation that maybe we do need to have after something like that.
00:22:03
Speaker 2: Agreed. So I know Lifeline probably thinks they were doing a service to the folks on that chat room that they were defending Jim Thornton and actually saying that his firing was an example of our tendency to vilify folks who haven't done anything wrong. But I think most people who are listening, anyone who's a parent, feels like just having those thoughts and being in a room joyfully and gleefully describing them is wrong.
00:22:30
Speaker 1: There you go. To suggest he hasn't done anything wrong is not okay.
00:22:36
Speaker 2: Agreed.
00:22:36
Speaker 1: Okay, so if he was doing it in a private chat room, but he was doing it in a very public way, baby.
00:22:41
Speaker 2: And he got a thrill out of it. That was the deeply concerning thing about it.
00:22:44
Speaker 1: Who could do this on a plane, baby? I hide my emails.
00:22:48
Speaker 2: Yeah, if he does this on a plane, what does he do in his bedroom?
00:22:50
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ.
00:22:53
Speaker 2: I think it's not done yet. No, oh no. And we need to have these conversations because this is really scary to hear Lifeline put out a statement like this. We do need more conversations. We do need more understanding. But we also need there to be an absolute acknowledgement that this is not okay and that this is dangerous behavior. All right, with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Amy Robach, alongside TJ Holmes.
