Who is Jon Reep? Last Comic Standing winner charged with exploitation of a minor

Jon Reep, the comedian who is best known for winning season 5 of NBC's Last Comic Standing, was arrested in North Carolina on numerous counts of se*ually abusing a minor. Earlier this week, a Catawba County grand jury indicted the 53-year-old American, who was arrested on Friday, September 5.

According to the Hickory Police Department, Reep is charged with nine charges of third-degree se*ual exploitation of a minor and one act of second-degree se*ual exploitation of a minor.

The case started on April 15, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent a cyber alert to police about suspected child se*ual abuse content connected to an account under Reep's name. Police executed a search warrant at the address tied to the account, seizing electronic devices.

The department released a press statement:

“During the initial investigation, it was discovered that the account associated with this cyber tip belonged to Jonathan David Reep, 53, of Hickory. A search warrant was conducted at the location linked to the IP address from the cyber tip. Electronic devices were seized during the execution of the search warrant and digital forensic analysis of these devices and other online communications were completed.”

Reep was arrested a few days after the grand jury returned indictments on September 2, after a forensic analysis. After being arrested and placed under a $260,000 bail, he was released from the Catawba County Detention Facility. His court appearance is pending.

Who is Jon Reep?

Jon Reep was born in Hickory, North Carolina, which is located about 50 miles northwest of Charlotte. He began a career in comedy and television after graduating from North Carolina State University in 1997. In the mid-2000s, he first gained national attention thanks to a commercial for Dodge Ram, which gave him the moniker “Hemi Guy.”

But it was his win on Last Comic Standing in 2007 that made him a star. It served as his breakthrough and helped advance his career. He went on to star in the ABC comedy "Rodney" and featured in specials such as "Ginger Beard Man" on Amazon Prime and "Brad Paisley's Comedy Rodeo" on Netflix. In addition, he co-hosts the Fried! Podcast with Jon Reep & Sarah Tiana.

At the time of his arrest, Reep was supposed to perform at the Paramount Theater in Goldsboro, North Carolina, but the event was rescheduled.

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It is unknown at this point if Jon Reep has hired legal counsel or filed a plea. If convicted, he could face major legal consequences.

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.

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