A former Jeopardy! champion who once won over fans with a two-game streak is now making headlines for a disturbing criminal case involving hidden cameras inside a North Carolina beach rental.

Philip Joseph “Joey” DeSena, a development engineer from Raleigh, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of secret peeping after prosecutors said he secretly installed cameras inside a bedroom and bathroom at a rental property in Corolla, North Carolina. The alleged incident happened on October 10, 2025, while the victim was in the Outer Banks for a wedding.

Authorities said the cameras were disguised as black USB wall chargers and placed in private areas of the home. After the victim discovered the devices, detectives reviewed the equipment and linked it back to DeSena, according to reports.

Prosecutors alleged that DeSena installed the cameras to secretly record the victim without consent for sexual gratification.

DeSena was arrested on December 1, 2025, after a warrant was issued in Currituck County. His attorneys previously told WAVY that he turned himself in, admitted to the allegations, cooperated with investigators and spent two days in jail. Reports at the time said he was later released on a $5,000 bond.

The case marked a stunning fall for DeSena, who appeared on Jeopardy! in November 2024 and won two games, taking home $44,698. He lost in his third game but returned in January 2025 for the Champions Wildcard tournament, where he made it to the semifinals before being defeated by Drew Goins and Jen Feldman.

On July 27, 2026, DeSena entered a plea agreement and was sentenced to 60 months, or five years, of supervised probation. As part of the deal, he will not be required to register as a sex offender.

WAVY reported that DeSena completed a psycho-sexual evaluation five days before the hearing. The evaluation reportedly concluded that he was at a below-average risk to reoffend.

In court, DeSena apologized and said he was “deeply sorry,” adding that he did not expect forgiveness because he understood “how much this affected certain people.”

DeSena is also required to take part in mental health assessments as part of his probation. The former game show champion is married and has two young children.

What began as a dream run on one of television’s most beloved quiz shows has now ended with DeSena facing years of court supervision after a case that left a beach rental guest discovering hidden cameras in the most private rooms of the home.