A beloved Virginia weatherman has been accused of secretly filming a sex tape and then threatening the victim with releasing it.
Josh Fitzpatrick, 42, was arrested for felony sexual extortion weeks after resigning from his job as chief meteorologist at 29News in Charleston, where he had worked for nearly a decade.
‘The victim reported that after a consensual sexual encounter, they were extorted and threatened with the release of a video taken unknowingly and without their consent,’ the Albemarle County Police Department said in a statement obtained by The Daily Progress.
Police say their investigation began in February, and that Fitzpatrick quit his job and moved to Ohio shortly after.
He was arrested in Ohio on a fugitive warrant this week and is also charged with the unlawful creation of an image of another.
‘With the assistance of Ohio law enforcement, Fitzpatrick was arrested on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. He is currently being held in Ohio awaiting extradition to Virginia,’ police said.
Investigators have said they believe there may be additional victims. They haven’t disclosed whether Fitzpatrick’s accuser is a man or woman.
Josh Fitzpatrick, 42, was arrested for sexual extortion weeks after leaving his chief meteorologist job at 20News in Virginia
Police say the weatherman recorded a sex tape without the consent of another person and then threatened to release it
Fitzpatrick is charged with felony sexual extortion and the unlawful creation of an image of another
They have asked anyone who may have had an encounter with Fitzpatrick to contact the Albemarle County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 434-296-5807.
If convicted of extortion of an adult, Fitzpatrick faces up to to years in prison.
Fitzpatrick’s fans have been leaving comments on the last image he shared on Facebook, reacting to his arrest.
‘the county jail has views like this?’ said one comment.
‘are you ok. There’s a lot if talk circulating on fb. I hope it’s not true,’ read another.
‘Cloudy with a chance of prison,’ said a third.
Fitzpatrick is originally from Ohio and previously worked at WSAZ-TV and WOAY-TV.
He continued sharing weather forecasts and images of landscapes on social media until he day of his arrest.
Over the last month he has often also shared images from a farm.
Police say the weatherman moved to Ohio after they began their investigation in February
The weatherman celebrated two decades in the news business last year.
He wrote: ‘It’s been an overall great 20 years. I’ve seen a lot of changes… Worked with great and talented people.
‘I’m doing what I’ve wanted since the fourth grade. I’ve seen and done a lot. Forecasting nearly every type of weather.
‘It’s strange that it’s been this long as I’m barely older than 20.’
