North Carolina 'Jeopardy!' Winner Faces New Charges After Prior Conviction
Philip Joseph 'Joey' DeSena, who won two episodes of the quiz show in 2024, was denied bond Monday after his Oct. 23 arrest.
By Justin Brooks ·
A Raleigh engineer who won two 'Jeopardy!' episodes is back in jail.
Philip Joseph 'Joedy' DeSena, 44, was arrested on Oct. 23 in Wake County, according to court records. He faces 10 counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. An arrest warrant says the charges relate to his alleged possession of explicit pictures and videos involving children. DeSena was booked into the Wake County Jail and a judge denied bond during a hearing on Monday.
His lawyer was not listed in the records reviewed. DeSena's next court date on the exploitation charges is Nov. 16.
This is DeSena's second arrest in less than a year. On Dec. 1, 2025, he was charged with two counts of felony secret peeping after he allegedly recorded a woman in a bedroom and bathroom. He pleaded guilty to those charges on July 27, 2026. A judge sentenced him to 60 months of probation, 100 hours of community service, and a mental health assessment. Court records say the court recommended that assessment be handled by a psychiatrist or psychologist specializing in psychosexual treatment.
DeSena won two 'Jeopardy!' games in November 2024 and earned $44,698 across those appearances. He returned to the show in January for the 'Winter 2025 Champions Wildcard' tournament.
Source: WWSB
