Fired in Motown

A longtime, award-winning consumer affairs reporter for Graham Media's Detroit station, WDIV, has been fired following a bizarre investigation into allegations that he posed as a massage therapist to inappropriately touch a man.

Hank Winchester wasa fixture at the station since 2001 known for his "Help Me Hank" investigative segment, was terminated after police in the Detroit suburb of Beverly Hills investigated claims from a man who met the journalist on Facebook Marketplace.

According to police records, the accuser told investigators that Winchester offered him a free massage, claiming he was a newly certified sports medicine specialist. The man alleged that during a session at Winchester's home, the reporter touched him inappropriately and that he feared he was being secretly recorded.

Police executed a search warrant at Winchester's home, seizing cameras and other electronic devices. However, the investigation found no evidence of the accuser being filmed, and the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office ultimately declined to file charges, stating there was "no cause to file any charges against Mr. Winchester" after a thorough review.

Winchester, who passed two polygraph tests during the ordeal, has vehemently denied the claims, calling them "outrageous, unfounded and defamatory." His attorney suggested the accuser had ulterior motives, displaying a social media photo at a press conference that allegedly showed the accuser giving a Nazi salute.

Despite being cleared of criminal wrongdoing, Winchester was fired by WDIV. The station initially placed him on leave when the investigation began this summer but has not commented on the reasons for his recent termination. In the weeks between the prosecutor's decision and his firing, Winchester had returned to the station but was not permitted to resume his "Help Me Hank" reports.

On a recent podcast, Winchester called the investigation "the worst nine weeks of my life," describing the situation as "insane and horrific and devastating."