Actor John Leap Arrested on Sexual Exploitation Charges

John Leap, a noted actor and comedian, was arrested earlier this year in Hickory, North Carolina, facing ten counts of sexual exploitation of minors.

On Friday, the Hickory Police Department shared details of Leap’s arrest from April 2025 on their Facebook page. They indicated that he was flagged by cyber tips from organizations focused on child sexual abuse and exploitation.

“The investigation revealed that the accounts linked to these cyber tips belonged to 53-year-old Jonathan David Leap from Hickory,” the police reports stated.

Additionally, the police explained, “A search warrant was executed at a location connected to the IP address tied to the cyber tips. Electronic devices were seized, and we proceeded with digital forensic analysis and a review of online communications.”

In another post, the Hickory Police Department noted, “On April 15, 2025, our station conducted an investigation involving internet crimes against children.”

Following these developments, the case was presented to the Catawba County District Attorney’s Office and subsequently to the Catawba County Grand Jury on September 2. A true bill indictment was issued for Leap on the charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, including a second-instance charge and nine counts overall, as confirmed by the police.

Leap, who gained fame for his catchphrase, “That got Hemi,” related to Dodge commercials in the 2000s, received a secured bond of $260,000 before being taken to the Catawba County Detention Facility.

After securing the bond, he was released, according to a spokesperson from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.

Notably, Leap was the winner of NBC’s stand-up competition series, The Last Comic Standing, in 2007. He has made appearances on several sitcoms, including Rodney and Good Luck Charlie, among others.

His most recent TV appearance was in an episode of Please Don’t Tell in 2024.