Former KNBC Producer Takes Plea Deal on Child Porn Charges

Over a year after his arrest on child pornography charges, former KNBC (LA) news producer Phil Drechsler has struck a plea deal with prosecutors that may result in a significantly reduced sentence. Drechsler, who was apprehended in Cincinnati in April 2023, has now pled guilty in federal court to the charge of distributing child pornography. According to a revised plea agreement filed on May 20, Drechsler's plea deal includes several stringent conditions: he must register as a sex offender, wear a monitoring device, and avoid schools, children, computers, and post office boxes, among other restrictions. While the charge could carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years, prosecutors are recommending the statutory minimum, which could mean five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, fines amounting to a few thousand dollars, and full restitution to his victims. No sentencing date has been set yet.

The plea deal represents a recommendation from the prosecution, and the judge has the discretion to accept, modify, or reject it. Depending on additional recommendations or a further assessment of the crime, the judge could impose a harsher sentence, increase fines, or add more conditions. Drechsler's case underscores the complexities and potential leniency within the judicial system for such serious charges. The public and legal scrutiny will be intense as the judge weighs the details of the case and the recommendations presented.

Phil Drechsler, now 61, was a resident of Santa Clarita and had worked at KNBC for 11 years until his layoff in February 2023. The charges against him stem from a police raid on his home, leading to an April 2023 Grand Jury indictment on three counts of child pornography distribution. The indictment revealed that Drechsler shared over 117 videos, nine images, and other files depicting child pornography between August 2020 and June 2021 as part of an online group. The recent court filing narrows the scope of his actions, specifying that Drechsler knowingly distributed child pornography online from May 7, 2021, to June 5, 2021, using his home computer. During the raid, law enforcement discovered a significant amount of child pornography on Drechsler's smartphone, which he accessed under the alias "Karen Flores."