Well-known Cincy WCPO Reporter arrested, charged for sexually molesting kids

9:23am Saturday, February 28, 2004

Public trust and the "RIGHT TO KNOW": Should background checks be given to reporters? Should there be a public records registry letting concerned citizens known if an Ohio reporter lives in their neighborhood? Do we have the ability to choose not to share space with the Ohio media elite?

February 28, 2004
Cincinnati WCPO (ABC) TV

WCPO Employee Arrested

A well-known employee of WCPO has been arrested.

Stephen Hill, a reporter for Channel Nine since 1989, was arrested Friday night on eight counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Reporter John McQuiston attended the press conference.

"These are serious charges and you're never prepared to hear details of accusations like these and then you hear that the person charged is someone you know and respect and whose desk sits three feet away from yours in the newsroom, like Stephen Hill's does mine," said McQuiston during Friday's 11 p.m. newscast.

Police said they went to Stephen Hill's house around 8 p.m. Friday to arrest him. When he saw them coming, police said he went inside his house and refused to come out or answer the door.

Saying they feared for his safety, police broke in the door.

They found Stephen Hill inside the back of the house with several self-inflicted cuts to his wrists.

Hill went by ambulance to University Hospital and he is expected to recover fully.

Police said there are several victims and at least eight occasions where Hill had sexual contact with minors.

"Mr. Hill has actually been involved in foster care and mentoring over the last six years or seven years. I believe the relationships began there. As I indicated, this investigation has really just begun in earnest," said Captain Vince Demasi of the Cincinnati Police.

DeMasi said it's possible there are more victims and is asking anyone else who might have been a victim of Hill, either recently or in the last several years, to call Crimestoppers at 513-352-3040.

The 9Newsroom asked the management of WCPO for a response to Friday's news story about Hill.

Commentary:
In the battle over gun control and concealed carry reform, Ohio's media elite have been all too willing to question whether or not you, the average Ohio citizen, can be trusted with a firearm.

They fight for their right to investigate and violate the privacy of law-abiding citizens that apply for concealed handgun licenses. They endorsed a public records amendment to HB12 which serves to equate law-abiding citizens with sex offenders. They breathlessly report the "news" that business owners can BAN CHL-holders(!!). And recently, Ohio's media elite have been party to claims that the background checks in Ohio's CHL law are inadequate or illegal.

When a disturbed person commits a crime with a gun, these media elites are always anxious to use the incident to press for stealing rights away from you, the law-abiding. To use their logic, incidents like this at WCPO raise the question everyone should be asking:

CAN WE TRUST REPORTERS?

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