Mom of Child Allegedly Abused by CNN Producer John Griffin Is Outraged by Delayed Arrest

The biological mother of a young girl is angry that the F.B.I. took 15 months to investigate multiple sexual abuse allegations against former CNN producer John Griffin, and did not disclose pertinent details while the investigation was unfolding.

Note: Some names in this story are not disclosed to protect all parties.

The mother’s daughter, age nine at the time, was allegedly sexually abused during a ten-day stay at the home of John Griffin.

The F.B.I. arrested Griffin in early December 2021. 

The mother, Catherine, shared with Fox News: “I have lost hope in the system completely. The fact that they knew this man, what he was, and what he did to her, and they did nothing for a year and a half, is mind-blowing.”

Catherine did not have custody of her daughter when the alleged sexual abuse occurred, having lost custody to the girl’s stepfather and his new wife in 2017 due to felony drug and weapon charges.

After the girl’s stepfather passed away in 2019, the girl remained in the care of her adoptive mother. After a time of incarceration, Catherine renewed a relationship with her daughter and expressed concern for her well-being.

In the summer of 2020, Catherine had a scheduled “overnight visit” with her daughter, after which she attempted to contact her adoptive mother but “could not locate her.”

At that point, Catherine “used her daughter’s phone to log into the adoptive mom’s social media accounts,” and in doing so, discovered evidence of inappropriate contact between Griffin and her daughter.

Allegedly, the adopting mother connected with Griffin via a “BDSM website,” and Griffin paid her $3,500 to fly with the 9-year-old girl to Vermont for ten days in July 2020.

Allegedly, Griffin sexually assaulted the girl during the ten-day visit.

Seeing the phone evidence, Catherine refused to return her daughter to the adoptive mother, and the adoptive mother called the police demanding the girl’s return.

Catherine turned over evidence to the police and statements were taken from the nine-year-old girl in August 2020. Fox reports the adoptive mom “was arrested on five counts of child abuse, eight counts of lewdness with a minor under 14, and two counts of sexual assault of a minor under 14.”

However, Griffin was not charged or arrested until Dec. 10, at which time details of what happened during the ten-day trip to Griffin’s home in 2020 became public and printed in the paper. 

Only after Griffin’s arrest and a flurry of news reports did Catherine become aware of the full extent of what her daughter had experienced. 

Catherine believes that justice for her daughter was delayed and that by not arresting Griffin earlier other children were needlessly put at risk. 

She told Fox News: “I want to know why they waited. Why did they put my little girl on the back burner?” 

Catherine added: “They never contacted me. I gave them the case on a silver platter. I can’t believe they didn’t tell me or my mom about this first. It’s ridiculous that I have to read about what happened to my daughter in the news.”

According to another report, Griffin, 44, pleaded not guilty to three counts of child sex trafficking. If convicted, he will serve a sentence of ten years to life.

Griffin is held without bail at a state prison in Cheshire County, New Hampshire.