Comedian Jon Reep, best known as the winner of Last Comic Standing, was arrested this week and faces ten charges of sexual exploitation of a minor.
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The season 5 winner of the competition show was arrested on Friday after being indicted by a Catawba County, North Carolina, grand jury on Tuesday. The charges include one count of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and nine counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the Hickory Police Department via TMZ.
Reep was arrested Friday afternoon and is being held at the Catawba County Detention Facility on a $260,000 bond.
The case emerged after officers received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 15 about “child sexual abuse material,” according to a department press release shared per PEOPLE.
“During the initial investigation, it was discovered that the account associated with this cyber tip belonged to Jonathan David Reep, 53, of Hickory,” the department added in its press release.
“Authorities ultimately executed a search warrant “at the location linked to the IP address from the cyber tip,” the press release continued.
“Electronic devices were seized during the execution of the search warrant, and digital forensic analysis of these devices and other online communications were completed.”
The Last Comic Standing Winner was Set to Perform the Night He was Arrested
The comic was scheduled to appear at the Paramount Theater on Friday evening in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
“We did not book Jon Reep,” Goldsboro’s Paramount Theatre told TMZ. “Our theatre was rented by a third-party producer who has booked other comedians and musical acts with us. We have just learned of Mr. Reep’s situation, and we immediately contacted the producer for clarification.
“We are forced to cancel tonight’s performance, and together we will determine if there is to be a rescheduled date,” the venue added. “Existing ticket holders will be given the opportunity to retain their tickets for a possible future date, or they will be issued a refund.”
Jon Reep skyrocketed to fame after winning Last Comic Standing in 2007, carving out a successful career in stand-up comedy. He later gained recognition for his recurring role on Eastbound & Down as Kenny Powers’ brother-in-law.
Beyond television, Reep became a familiar face in popular commercials, including the Dodge Ram “That thing got a Hemi?” campaign. His comedy credentials extend to numerous specials, such as Netflix’s Brad Paisley’s Comedy Rodeo and Amazon Prime’s Ginger Beard Man, according to his website.