ACA vows to report Ben McCormack child porn story ‘without fear or favour’

A CURRENT Affair has vowed to report “without fear or favour” and “give it to you straight” on the arrest of its star reporter for child porn offences.

A CURRENT Affair has responded on air to its star reporter Ben McCormack being charged with child pornography offences.

Host Leila McKinnon told viewers on Thursday night’s program that Channel 9 would cover the story “without fear or favour”.

Police raided Sydney’s Channel 9 headquarters yesterday before McCormack, 42, was charged with sending child pornography material.

ACA host Leila McKinnon addressed Ben McCormack’s arrest at the top of the show.

McKinnon stressed the allegations were related to McCormack’s “personal conduct” and “in no way reflect his behaviour at A Current Affair or the Nine Network”.

“Here at A Current Affair we’ve always given it to you straight and told you how it is, so let’s get into it,” McKinnon said on the program.

“Tonight one of our most senior reporters is facing charges involving child pornography offences.

“And while justice must take its course and given the serious nature of the allegations, Nine has taken a strong position and immediately suspended Ben McCormack.

Ben McCormack is a 25-year veteran with the network. Picture: A Current Affair.

“A Current Affair has a long history of pursuing offenders in these types of cases and we intend to cover this story without fear or favour.

“We stress these charges relate to Ben McCormack’s alleged personal conduct and in no way reflect his behaviour with A Current Affair or within the Nine Network.”

Police will allege in court that McCormack was engaged in sexually explicit conversations about children with an adult male and discussed child pornography.

Nine Network reporter Ben McCormack is released from Redfern police station yesterday. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

McKinnon, who is married to former Channel 9 boss David Gyngell, is filling in for regular ACA host Tracey Grimshaw, who is on assignment in Hobart.

The child porn allegations come one year to the day since another dark period in Channel 9 history.

It was on April 6, 2016, that the infamous 60 Minutes child recovery operation took place, which led to reporter Tara Brown and three crew members spending almost two weeks behind bars in Beirut, Lebanon.

Originally published as ACA vows to report Ben McCormack child porn story ‘without fear or favour’