Jon and Kate Plus 8 went from a lighthearted reality show about two parents with fraternal twins and sextuplets to a course in "how not to be a good father" over about three years. The two separated after both Jon and Kate were accused of extramarital affairs, leaving Kate as an essentially single mother raising eight children. Hollywood producers should take note, because this could easily be the premise of a horror movie.
A former editor on TLC’s reality series Jon and Kate Plus 8 was arrested last week on charges related to child pornography, according to documents posted online by RadarOnline.com.
William Blankinship, 56, who was taken into custody Oct. 21, has been charged with 10 counts of sex exploit of a minor, which means he had photos and/or videos of a minor engaged in sexual activity.
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Blankinship’s credits also include three other child-centric series on TLC, including the Jon and Kate spinoff Kate Plus 8 as well as 17 Kids and Counting and Table for 12.
However, Blankinship was not employed by TLC; instead, he was a subcontractor for Figure 8 Films, which fired him after his arrest.
“Bill Blankinship was employed by Serious Robots, with whom Figure 8 Films subcontract for editing services,” Figure 8 said in a statement. “Upon learning of the shocking allegations, his employment was terminated.”
The company added that Blankinship was never around any of the families at the center of its reality shows.
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“At no time was this man ever in the field or in direct contact with any of the talent for any of our productions,” the company said.
No bond was set, but a Federal Bureau of Prisons told RadarOnline that in such cases, the person remains “under the authority of the U.S. Marshals until they are sentenced and convicted, and then they’d be sent to a federal prison.”
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