Former editor-in-chief of The Recount, Slade Sohmer, was charged for the possession and distribution of child pornography, according to Massachusetts authorities. The 44-year-old reportedly disseminated “hundreds of child pornography images and videos,” as reported by The Berkshire Eagle. Sohmer, who also worked as a camp counselor for a New York City-based nonprofit, was arrested at his residence in Otis, Massachusetts after a search warrant led to the seizure of his electronic devices. The former editor pleaded not guilty to two charges of possession and two charges of dissemination of child pornography upon his release on a $100,000 bail.
The Recount is a far-left site founded by The Circus’s John Heilemann, who hired Sohmer as editor-in-chief. While Sohmer’s LinkedIn page still lists him as the Editor-in-Chief, The Recount has recently been sold to a far-left Gen-Z news network and its “Team” page is now blank. In 2018, Buzzfeed appeared to celebrate Sohmer discussing his sexuality with 10-year-olds.
Court documents referenced in The Berkshire Eagle report allege Sohmer’s phone contained highly disturbing video clips depicting boys as young as three being sexually assaulted by adults. Authorities initially became aware of the alleged activities through a tipoff from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which informed the Massachusetts State Police Cyber Crime Unit about a suspicious video circulated on Snapchat in late September of last year.
Upon investigation, the video was linked back to an IP address believed to originate from Sohmer’s home internet account, and on October 18th, Berkshire police confiscated electronic devices from the premises. Authorities allege that one of these devices, Sohmer’s phone, was used to send out 53 videos containing child pornography. There are also claims that Sohmer was filmed directing a minor to perform sexual acts, prompting Assistant District Attorney Marianne Shelvey to suggest further charges may be pending due to the child’s identification.
