When you hear the name James B. Gosnell Jr., your mind likely goes one of two ways. For those in the South Carolina legal circuit, he was a long-standing fixture on the bench. For people in the entertainment world, a man with a near-identical name has spent decades running one of Hollywood's most storied talent agencies.
But honestly, the headlines lately have been dominated by something much darker.
The James B. Gosnell Jr. making national waves right now isn't the talent executive. He is (or was) a magistrate judge in Charleston County, South Carolina. And the details emerging from his recent federal indictment are, frankly, horrifying.
The Stunning Fall of James B. Gosnell Jr.
It happened fast. On September 16, 2025, federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) showed up at his home in Charleston. They weren't there for a chat. They had a warrant.
By the time the dust settled, the 68-year-old judge was in handcuffs.
The charges? Possession, distribution, and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). It wasn't just a handful of images, either. Federal prosecutors allege they found a flash drive plugged into his laptop containing hundreds of videos. We are talking about depictions of infants and toddlers. It's the kind of stuff that makes even seasoned investigators lose sleep.
Why this hit Charleston so hard
Gosnell wasn't some unknown low-level clerk. He had been a magistrate for over 20 years. He presided over bond hearings and preliminary cases. He was the "face" of the law for many people entering the system.
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Most notably, he was the judge who handled the initial bond hearing for Dylann Roof, the gunman behind the 2015 Mother Emanuel AME Church massacre. You might remember the controversy back then. Gosnell caught a massive amount of heat for saying from the bench that the shooter's family were "victims" too. People were outraged. They felt he was equating the grief of the victims' families with the family of a mass murderer.
He survived that scandal. He didn't survive this one.
The Indictment and the Evidence
The legal trouble for James B. Gosnell Jr. didn't come out of nowhere. It started with a tip. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) flagged some suspicious financial transactions.
These payments were traced back to a distributor of abuse material in the United Kingdom.
Investigators followed the digital breadcrumbs—phone numbers, addresses, and email accounts. It all led straight back to the judge. According to court documents unsealed in late 2025, Gosnell wasn't just a passive viewer. He was allegedly using Telegram to talk to "like-minded individuals."
The most disturbing part? The indictment mentions discussions about future plans to meet with others to commit further acts of violence against minors.
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The fallout in the courthouse
The South Carolina Supreme Court didn't wait around. Chief Justice John Kittredge suspended Gosnell almost immediately after the arrest. The order was blunt: his continued service was a "substantial threat to public safety."
It’s a mess for the Charleston judicial system. Every case he touched is now being looked at through a different lens. When a judge—someone sworn to protect the vulnerable—is accused of being a predator, the foundation of public trust just crumbles.
Clearing Up the Name Confusion
You’ve probably seen some confusion online because of the name. It’s worth being 100% clear here.
There is a James H. Gosnell Jr. (often called Jim) who is a major figure in Hollywood. He ran the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) for thirty years and now sits on the board of the Independent Artist Group (IAG).
They are not the same person.
The Hollywood executive has a middle initial "H" and a career built on representing stars and musicians. The South Carolina judge has the middle initial "B." While the names are nearly identical, their lives and their current situations couldn't be more different. One is a businessman in Los Angeles; the other is a man facing a potential life sentence in a federal cell.
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What Happens Next for the Former Judge?
As of early 2026, James B. Gosnell Jr. remains in federal custody. His bond was denied because the court deemed him a danger to the community and a flight risk.
Federal cases move slowly, but they are incredibly thorough. The prosecution has the flash drive. They have the Telegram logs. They have the financial records. If convicted on all charges, Gosnell is looking at decades behind bars.
Federal investigators are still asking the public for help. They want to know if anyone—specifically parents whose children might have been around Gosnell—has information. They set up a dedicated tip line at Charleston_exploitationtips@hsi.dhs.gov.
Practical Takeaways for Following the Case
- Check the middle initial: Always distinguish between James B. (the judge) and James H. (the talent agent) to avoid spreading misinformation.
- Monitor the District of South Carolina: The U.S. Attorney’s Office provides the most accurate updates on court dates and new filings.
- Understand the "Magistrate" role: In South Carolina, magistrates like Gosnell aren't required to be attorneys. This has sparked a whole new debate in the state legislature about whether judicial qualifications need to be stricter.
This case is a reminder that positions of power don't always guarantee integrity. For the people of Charleston, the trial of James B. Gosnell Jr. isn't just about one man. It's about a system that let him stay on the bench for two decades while these alleged activities were happening in the shadows.
Keep an eye on the federal court docket for the District of South Carolina. The upcoming pre-trial motions will likely reveal even more about the scope of the digital evidence seized from his home.