Philip Joseph “Joey” DeSena, known for his double victories on the popular game show “Jeopardy!”, was detained on December 1, 2025, on charges of felony secret peeping. DeSena, a development engineer hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, is alleged to have installed hidden cameras in a bathroom and bedroom without the consent of the residents.
The incident reportedly took place on October 10, 2025, according to an arrest warrant issued by the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. However, the warrant wasn’t served until November 26. The court documents indicate that DeSena had allegedly installed a covert camera in a bathroom to surreptitiously capture images of another person. DeSena surrendered to the Wake County authorities and after posting a $5,000 bond, was released from jail on December 3. He was also ordered to refrain from contacting the victim and was required to provide fingerprints and a DNA sample.
A hearing to determine probable cause was set for December 10 in Currituck County Court. As of December 14, no further updates have been released from the court. Each of the felony charges DeSena faces could result in a jail sentence ranging from three to 24 months. Aside from this case, DeSena has no serious criminal history.
DeSena first came to public attention as a contestant on “Jeopardy!” in November 2024. He secured two consecutive victories, winning a sum of $44,698. His first win on November 11, 2024, earned him $17,487. He won again the following day, but lost his third game. His first episode drew attention when both his competitors ended up with only $1 after wagering all their money in the Final Jeopardy round, resulting in a tie for second and third place. DeSena, while on the show, wore a Navy pin that belonged to his father as a tribute. He noted on Reddit: “This was my little way of paying tribute to him on the Alex Trebek Stage. I made it, Dad.”
In January 2025, DeSena participated in the Champions Wildcard Tournament with aspirations of securing a place in the 2025 Tournament of Champions. He had one of the strongest quarterfinal performances, answering 20 out of 22 questions correctly and successfully playing two Daily Doubles. However, he was eliminated in the semifinals by Drew Goins and Jen Feldman.
During his stint on the show, DeSena engaged with fans on the “Jeopardy!” Reddit forum. In one post, he shared that he wrote “Lorelai” during a Final Jeopardy round as a message for his four-month-old daughter, hoping she would see it in the future and smile. He also revealed that host Ken Jennings had admitted to him that the Final Jeopardy question was a tough one, which made DeSena feel better about missing the answer.
DeSena had first applied to be a contestant on “Jeopardy!” in 2010. He waited for more than a decade before getting his chance to compete in November 2024. His two victorious games were taped during the same morning session. Prior to his television appearance, DeSena had earned a reputation in the retro-gaming community, contributing to projects such as 16 Bit Gems, Apollo Z Hack, and The Video Game Years. From 2009 to 2015, he operated a YouTube channel named ClanOfTheGrayWolf under the pseudonym “Roo.”
DeSena’s arrest marks another instance of a “Jeopardy!” contestant facing serious legal issues. Winston Nguyen, a former champion, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2025 for pretending to be a teenager on Snapchat to acquire explicit images and videos from minors. Years earlier, Paul Curry, another competitor on the show, was found guilty in 2014 for the 1994 death of his wife due to nicotine poisoning.
