A three-time Jeopardy! champion has been arrested on child pornography charges, just three months after pleading guilty to two felony counts of secretly peeping.
Philip Joseph “Joey” DeSena, 44, was arrested in North Carolina last Friday, October 23, and charged with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to court records obtained by The Daily Mail.
An arrest warrant alleges that DeSena possessed sexually explicit photographs and videos depicting children.
Court documents state that the alleged offenses took place on November 19, 2025.
DeSena, a software developer from Raleigh, was arrested while serving a 60-month probation sentence after pleading guilty to two felony counts of secret peeping in July 2026.
He was booked into the Wake County Jail and held without bail after his initial court appearance.
A judge denied bond on Monday, and records show that DeSena remains in custody at the Wake County Jail.
Three-time Jeopardy! winner Philip Joseph “Joey” DeSena has been arrested on child pornography charges, three months after pleading guilty to two felony counts of secretly peeping
DeSena, 44, was arrested in North Carolina last Friday, October 23, and charged with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to records obtained by The Daily Mail, seen in his latest mugshot
He is scheduled to appear in court next on November 11. The Daily Mail has contacted representatives of the Raleigh Police Department for comment.
DeSena pleaded guilty to two felony secret-peeping charges in July.
He was arrested in December 2025 in Maple, North Carolina, after allegedly installing a camera in the bathroom and bedroom of an unsuspecting victim at a rental property in Corolla.
According to the indictment, DeSena “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously” installed “any device that can be used to create a photographic image, namely a camera placed in the bathroom, with the intent to capture the image of another without their consent.”
He faced two felony counts of secret peeping and pleaded guilty. The court sentenced him to 60 months of probation.
The disturbing incident came to light on October 10, 2025, when the victim told police she had discovered two black USB wall chargers containing hidden cameras inside the rental home. She was staying there while visiting for a wedding, prosecutors alleged at a hearing, according to WAVY.
DeSena surrendered to authorities on December 1, 2025. He was released two days later after posting $5,000 bail.
DeSena made his Jeopardy! debut on November 11, 2024, winning that episode before returning the following day and securing another victory.
His winning streak ended when he lost on November 13. He returned to the show in January 2025 for the Champions Wildcard tournament, where he reached the semifinals.
In March 2025, another former Jeopardy! winner, New York City math teacher Winston Nguyen, was sentenced to seven years in prison for catfishing students into sending him sexually explicit images.
Nguyen, who competed on and won Jeopardy! in 2014, was arrested in June 2024 and charged with multiple offenses.
He had been given a second chance to teach at Brooklyn’s prestigious Saint Ann’s private school in 2020, after previously being convicted on fraud charges.
Four years later, his second arrest sent the private school into a public relations crisis.
DeSena pleaded guilty in July to two felony counts of secretly peeping. He was arrested in December 2025 in Maple, North Carolina, after allegedly installing a camera in an unsuspecting victim’s bathroom and bedroom at a rental property in Corolla
In 2022, students at Saint Ann’s and other private schools in Brooklyn began reporting that they were being contacted on Snapchat and asked to send inappropriate photographs and videos.
Some of the students were as young as 13.
The District Attorney’s Office informed Saint Ann’s in February 2024 that it was investigating the anonymous account. Parents were not notified.
