Carpe diem

Trump's good friend judge James Gosnell is as bad as any Nazi. He's into torturing, raping and murdering infants and toddlers including necrophillia!

Former Charleston magistrate judge James Gosnell Jr. pleads guilty to child porn charges

Story by Emily Deanne

July 3, 2026

James Gosnell Jr., a former Charleston magistrate judge, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to two child pornography charges, avoiding a trial that had been scheduled to begin with jury selection in August 2026.

The 69-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and one count of distribution of child pornography.

According to federal prosecutors, the possession charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The distribution charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years. Combined, Gosnell faces up to 40 years in federal prison, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential fines, special assessments and restitution for victims.

Former Charleston magistrate judge James Gosnell Jr. pleads guilty to child porn charges

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to seek dismissal of the remaining charges at sentencing if Gosnell complies with the terms of the agreement. During Thursday's hearing, Gosnell admitted to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.

U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said the guilty plea brings certainty to the case while prosecutors continue to seek the maximum sentence.

“These deviant, disgusting, and deeply disturbing actions truly shock our community,” Stirling said.

Stirling said investigators uncovered thousands of files depicting the sexual abuse of children after executing a search warrant at Gosnell's home.

“The depths of the darkness revealed in Gosnell's electronics and messages to his co-conspirator serve as a reminder that evil walks among us, often hiding in plain sight, him being a judge sitting on the bench,” Stirling said.

According to prosecutors, the investigation began after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and information linked to online payments. Investigators traced the activity to Gosnell's phone number, email address and residence before executing a search warrant in September 2025.

Authorities said they seized more than 3,700 images and videos of child sexual abuse material stored on flash drives, discs and VHS tapes. Prosecutors said the material included content involving children under the age of 12, including infants and toddlers, that included the bonding, rape, torture and murder of children, as well as a video called “Daisy's Demise,” and videos of dead children being sexually assaulted.

Good friend of President Trump, Charleston magistrate judge James Gosnell Jr., pleads guilty to shocking child porn charges involving torture, murder and necrophillia

Stirling said prosecutors will ask the court to impose the maximum possible sentence.

“Gosnell's plea today is a resolution for the public, the government, and his victims. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment, which we will be arguing for, for 40 years,” Stirling said.

He added that accepting the plea avoids the uncertainty of a trial.

“What it gives us is certainty,” he said. “If you go to trial, there's uncertainty after relying on jurors. ... There's finality to this,” Stirling said. “All the conduct that's alleged and all the conduct that we saw will be included in his sentencing reports.”

Stirling also said he hopes the plea provides closure to those impacted by the case.

“We hope this plea will bring finality and closure to the community that he betrayed,” Stirling said.

Gosnell's attorney, Lionel Lofton, said his client chose to plead guilty to spare his family from a lengthy trial.

“Gosnell took the position that, 'I'm not going to put my family through any more heartache or hardship. I'm just going to go ahead and plead,'” Lofton said.

Lofton said the defense had challenged the legality of the search warrant but lost that argument in court.

“I just didn't think the search had probable cause. We challenged that. The court ruled against us,” Lofton said. He added that he hopes the court ultimately imposes a sentence that allows Gosnell to be released someday.

“Hopefully we can convince the court that he's not an evil person and he did stupid things and he violated the law,” Lofton said.

Stirling said the case represents a breach of public trust by someone who once served on the bench.

“South Carolina is better than this. They deserve better than this from their public servants,” Stirling said.

Booking photos of John Badger Thorpe and James Benjamin Gosnell Jr

The guilty plea comes just over a month after co-defendant John Thorpe pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and child pornography distribution charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.