Editor’s note: The following story contains graphic content.
Thursday’s “Dr. Phil” brought a bombshell appearance from journalist Rochelle Herman-Walrond, who was armed with secret recordings that featured the voice of a man said to be former “Subway guy” Jared Fogle expressing his desires to abuse children.
With the episode came a host of sickening revelations — including fantasies and details on the methods Fogle allegedly used to target his victims — all spelled out in the hard-to-watch interview between Herman-Walrond and host Phil McGraw.
While Fogle pleaded guilty this past summer to receiving and distributing child pornography, and engaging in an unlawful sex act with a minor, the “Dr. Phil” sit-down gives chilling insight into how Fogle went about meeting and allegedly grooming children for abuse.
Fogle allegedly details how to lure victims: On the tapes, Herman-Walrond said she feigned a similar interest in sex with minors to get Fogle to open up.
“We just start sharing stories and then, you know, we get a little closer, and a little closer, and a little closer,” Fogle allegedly told her. “Before you know it… it just starts to happen.”
Fogle does not have a gender preference when it comes to children: “What turns you on the most, the young girls or the young boys?” Herman-Walrond asks Fogle in one clip. “Both of them do. Both of them,” he allegedly responds.
Fogle, also charged with crossing state lines to engage in sex with a minor, had plans to go abroad as well: “I would fly us clear across the world if we need to. To Thailand or wherever we want to go. If we’re gonna try to get some young kids with us it would be a lot easier,” Fogle allegedly said.
Targeting Troubled Kids: At one point, Herman-Walrond asks a man, who is presumed to be Fogle, if a child’s personality is a factor in recruiting them for sex.
“The girl from the broken home [is a] definite possibility,” the man on the tape says, pointing out the girl in question could be manipulated with “some affection.”
Fogle requested to watch Herman-Walrond engage in the illegal acts: “Do you want to watch me (expletive) a young girl too?” Fogle is allegedly heard asking Herman-Walrond in one recording. “Will you (expletive) a young boy?” Fogle said to the journalist. When asked if he would enjoy it, Fogle allegedly says, “It would turn me on so much.”
Herman-Walrond eventually turned the recordings over to the FBI as they built a case against the former sandwich pitchman.
Fogle has paid out $1 million in restitution to his victims so far, in the form of $100,000 checks to 10 of his victims over the past several weeks, the Associated Press reports. He still has to pay out a total of $400,000 to his remaining four victims.
Fogle will be sentenced on Nov. 19 by U.S. District Court judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
The second part of the “Dr. Phil” interview with Herman-Walrond will air on Friday.
Watch the video clip from Thursday’s episode below.