Raleigh 'Jeopardy!' Winner Joey DeSena Arrested on New Charges

RALEIGH, N.C. Philip Joseph “Joey” DeSena, a two-time winner on the game show “Jeopardy!”, was arrested in Wake County on Oct. 23.

DeSena, 44, was charged with 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. An arrest warrant states the charges arise from his alleged possession of sexually explicit pictures and videos featuring children.

He was booked into the Wake County Jail and denied bond during an initial hearing on Monday.

This is DeSena’s second arrest in under a year. He was first taken into custody on Dec. 1, 2025, and charged with two counts of felony secret peeping. Those charges stemmed from the alleged recording of a woman in a bedroom and a bathroom.

DeSena pleaded guilty to the peeping charges on July 27, 2026. A judge sentenced him to 60 months of probation, ordered 100 hours of community service, and required a mental health assessment by a specialist in psychosexual treatment.

DeSena, who lives in Raleigh, is an engineer. He won two episodes of “Jeopardy!” in November 2024 and earned $44,698. He also competed in the show’s “Winter 2025 Champions Wildcard” tournament in January. He is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 16 to address the new sexual exploitation charges.