Pentagon contractor executive charged with soliciting sex from minor

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday recently announced that Eric Gillespie, the founder and executive chairman of Govini, has been arrested and charged with allegedly soliciting sexual contact with a preteen girl.

Govini develops artificial-intelligence software used by the Pentagon and other agencies, Fox News reported. The software then analyzes large amounts of government and commercial data, including defense budgets, supply chain information and acquisition programs. The company signed a nearly $1 billion contract earlier this year with the Defense Department and General Services Administration to build a supply-chain risk platform, according to the outlet.

Pennsylvania authorities said Gillespie allegedly tried to arrange a meeting with a young girl through an online chat platform often used by sex offenders, but an undercover agent intercepted the executive's messages. 

"Our Child Predator Section proactively uncovered this defendant who, under an online pseudonym, was lurking online to access children," Sunday said in a statement. "This case is yet another example of the dangers that exist online in anonymous chat platforms and other communication venues.”

Gillespie allegedly alluded to other methods he used to access children in the investigation, the attorney general's office said, and other evidence was discovered regarding alleged contact with children. 

He has been charged with four felony counts, including multiple charges of unlawful contact with a minor.

"As soon as we learned of these charges, we took immediate action to place Mr. Gillespie on administrative leave," Govini told Fox News in a statement. "The Company will fully cooperate with law enforcement in connection with their investigation.  We acknowledge the severity of these charges and as a Company will hold all our employees to the highest ethical standards. We stand steadfast in support of all victims of abuse of any kind."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.