On several counts of child sexual exploitation, comedian Jon Reep was arrested: Continue Reading

 There have been further developments in the case of 53-year-old comedian Jon Reep, who was arrested on several charges of sexually exploiting a juvenile on Friday, September 5, 2025. The accused victims were between the ages of 1 and 14, according to court records.

On April 15, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided the Hickory Police Department with a cyber tip, which prompted the department to begin its investigation. After that tip connected Reep to an account linked to content of child sexual abuse, a search warrant was obtained and many electronic devices were seized. 

Evidence from forensic examination of the devices and associated communications was eventually shown to a grand jury in Catawba County. Nine counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a juvenile and one case of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor were indicted by the grand jury on September 2.

Reep, a native of Hickory who gained national recognition after winning NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2007 and making appearances in shows like Brad Paisley's Comedy Rodeo on Netflix, was arrested and brought before a Newton magistrate on Friday. He was freed from the Catawba County Detention Facility after posting a $260,000 secured bond.

Public outrage has increased after the victims' ages were revealed, and many community members are shocked by the claims considering Reep's well-known status. Authorities stress that the investigation is ongoing and that further information may become available.