'Wheel of Fortune' announcer Jim Thornton terminated after investigation

Jim Thornton, a 61-year-old announcer for the game show "Wheel of Fortune," has been fired from his position following an incident on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Los Angeles on May 14. During the flight, Thornton was seen using a website called "lifeline.chat," which is purportedly designed for individuals with pedophilic thoughts, and engaging in conversations that included discussing children in a disturbing manner. A fellow passenger took photos of Thornton's laptop screen, showing him reading and responding to messages on the site.

The incident came to light when the passenger reported what she saw to a flight attendant, who then made Thornton close his laptop. After the flight landed at Los Angeles International Airport, law enforcement spoke with Thornton for about five minutes but did not take any action against him, stating that no wrongdoing had occurred.

However, an investigation by Sony Pictures Television Studios, which produces "Wheel of Fortune," ultimately led to Thornton's termination from the show. It was later reported that Thornton had been misdirected to lifeline.chat when he meant to visit a legitimate support website for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts, but this claim has not been confirmed.

After his firing, Thornton shut down his Facebook account and was scrubbed from the show's social media channels. Additionally, photos obtained by news outlets showed that Thornton had conducted a frantic Google search on his phone after being caught using the pedophilia chatroom website, suggesting that he may have been trying to cover his tracks or understand the implications of his actions.