Joshua Fitzpatrick is a former television meteorologist from Gallipolis, Ohio, who worked at stations in West Virginia and Virginia before pleading guilty in March 2026 to two misdemeanors tied to secretly filming a sexual encounter in Albemarle County, Virginia, and distributing the footage. A felony sexual extortion charge was dropped because prosecutors said Virginia’s statute could not be proven on the facts of the case.
The Charges He Pleaded To and His Sentence
On March 4, 2026, Fitzpatrick appeared in Albemarle General District Court and pleaded guilty to two Class 1 misdemeanors: disseminating images of another person and filming a nude person without consent. The felony sexual extortion charge and a second misdemeanor charge were dropped as part of the agreement.1Augusta Free Press. Former NBC29 Meteorologist Guilty of Two Misdemeanors, Most Serious Charges Dropped
He was sentenced to one year on each count, with 11 months suspended per count, and received credit for time already served since his April 2025 arrest. The court also ordered him to return to Gallipolis, destroy his phone, and have no future contact with the victim. He left court that day a free man.229News. Former WVIR Meteorologist Pleads Guilty to Two Misdemeanors Related to Sexual Encounter
Why the Felony Sextortion Charge Was Dropped
Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Lawton Tufts said his office believed a felony conviction was warranted given the seriousness of the conduct, but that Virginia’s sexual extortion statute as written made it impossible to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Tufts stated the statute “is too limited to convict” and that “the way the sexual extortion code section is currently written requires proof of specific legal elements that could not be established beyond a reasonable doubt in this case.”229News. Former WVIR Meteorologist Pleads Guilty to Two Misdemeanors Related to Sexual Encounter
The gap sits in Virginia Code § 18.2-59.1, which requires proof that the victim “thereby engages” in the sexual acts enumerated in the statute as a result of the threat. If the extortion demand involved acts outside that list, or if the coerced act was never completed, the statutory elements can be difficult to meet.3Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code § 18.2-59.1 – Sexual Extortion Tufts said his office was working with state legislators to clarify the law.229News. Former WVIR Meteorologist Pleads Guilty to Two Misdemeanors Related to Sexual Encounter
How the Investigation Started
The Albemarle County Police Department opened its investigation on February 28, 2025, after a victim reported that Fitzpatrick had threatened to release a video of a sexual encounter recorded without the victim’s knowledge or consent.4NBC News. Former Virginia TV Weatherman Arrested as Fugitive on Sexual Extortion Charges Police said the encounter itself was consensual, but the filming was not, and Fitzpatrick allegedly used the footage as leverage against the victim.53WV Radio. Former Charlottesville Weatherman Arrested on Sexual Extortion Charges At the time of the arrest, police indicated their investigation had led them to believe there could be additional victims.
At the time of the investigation, Fitzpatrick was working as a meteorologist at NBC 29 (WVIR) in Charlottesville, after earlier stops at WSAZ and WOAY in West Virginia.6Fox 8 Cleveland. Former West Virginia Meteorologist Arrested in Ohio on Sexual Extortion Charges
Arrest, Extradition, and Bond
Shortly after the investigation began, Fitzpatrick left Virginia for Ohio. Albemarle County police obtained arrest warrants on April 9, 2025, charging him with one count of felony sexual extortion and one count of unlawful creation of an image of another. With help from Ohio authorities, he was arrested on a fugitive warrant on April 22, 2025, and held pending extradition.6Fox 8 Cleveland. Former West Virginia Meteorologist Arrested in Ohio on Sexual Extortion Charges
On June 5, 2025, a judge set bond at $25,000. Conditions required Fitzpatrick to live at his parents’ home in Gallipolis, gave him no internet access, and barred any contact with the victim.729News. Former 29News Meteorologist Charged With Sextortion Released on Bond
Earlier Criminal History
The Charlottesville case was not Fitzpatrick’s first felony matter. He had a prior Virginia conviction for aggravated involuntary manslaughter and was serving a suspended sentence on probation. His probation was transferred to Horry County, South Carolina, for work, and he was later permitted to travel to Pennsylvania for employment.8Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. Man Wanted for Violating Manslaughter Probation in Virginia Taken Into Custody
In November 2025, his South Carolina probation office reported him in violation of the suspended sentence agreement. Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office detectives took him into custody on November 13, 2025, at an extended-stay hotel in North Fayette Township, Pennsylvania. He was held at the Allegheny County Jail pending extradition to Virginia.8Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. Man Wanted for Violating Manslaughter Probation in Virginia Taken Into Custody
Nashville court records show Fitzpatrick also faced felony charges for violating sex offender registration requirements. In a case filed in May 2018, he was charged with two counts of sex offender registration violation, tied to offense dates in August 2015 and January 2016. On May 31, 2018, Judge Seth Norman found him guilty on one count and dismissed the other, sentencing him to one year with 180 days to serve, followed by a year of unsupervised probation. The Nashville records do not indicate what original offense placed him on the registry.9Nashville Criminal Court. Criminal History – Joshua Fitzpatrick
Virginia’s Response on Sextortion Law
Governor Glenn Youngkin signed HB 1998 into law on September 18, 2025, addressing a related gap in Virginia’s sextortion statute by making it a Class 5 felony to use threats of eviction, financial loss, or property damage to coerce sexual acts.10WSLS. Gov. Youngkin Signs Sextortion Bill Into Law That change did not apply to the elements Tufts cited as unprovable in Fitzpatrick’s case.