An Iowa meteorologist who was accused of soliciting sex from young boys is no longer an employee of KCCI-TV.
The Des Moines station confirmed Frank Scaglione’s departure from the station but KCCI news director Dave Busiek did not say whether he was fired or if he resigned.
According to the Des Moines Register, the allegations against Scaglione, 26, first surfaced on Sunday when several Twitter accounts posted claims online.
The users accused Scaglione of using social media to pursue sexual relationships with boys younger than 18.
KCCI-TV meteorologist, Frank Scaglione (pictured), is no longer an employee of the Iowa news station after he was accused of soliciting sex from boys younger than 18 on social media
The Des Moines station confirmed Scaglione’s departure from the station but KCCI news director Dave Busiek did not say whether he was fired or if he resigned
Five boys told the Register that Scaglione tried to pursue personal relationships with them over social media.
They claimed he sent them unsolicited pictures of genitals or of his shirtless upper body to 17-year-old boys in the Des Moines area.
The teens alleged that Scaglione asked them to get lunch, to come to his house or to send pictures of their genitals.
One 17-year-old accuser, who attends Southeast Polk High School, told the Register that he connected with Scaglione on Snapchat.
‘It was cool to add the weather guy on Snapchat,’ he said. ‘You know, it was a thing. So I added him but (was) not expecting him to add me back.’
According to the teen, he and Scaglione exchanged messages on Snapchat after the teen jokingly sent him a message first asking about the weather.
According to the Des Moines Register, the allegations against Scaglione (left and right), 26, first surfaced on Sunday when several Twitter accounts posted the claims online
Five boys told the Register that Scaglione tried to pursue personal relationships with them over social media
Scaglione allegedly responded by asking the teen how old he was. The teen said he told Scaglione he was 17.
‘I thought that it was weird at the time that he was asking me my age, but I didn’t really think anything of it at first, just because I felt like he was just a trusted person,’ the teen told the newspaper.
The teen then claimed that Scaglione sent him a message asking him to come over to his house, sent him inappropriate statements and photos of genitals.
The teen said he didn’t tell anyone about the incident. Another accuser claimed he interacted with Scaglione on Snapchat in March 2017.
‘I had no idea who he was, so I added him back,’ the teen told the Register.
The teen said their conversation started with Scaglione asking if he’d like to send messages back and forth to each other.
The teens claimed Scaglione sent them unsolicited pictures of genitals or of his shirtless upper body to 17-year-old boys in the Des Moines area
They alleged that Scaglione (left and right) asked them to get lunch, to come to his house or to send pictures of their genitals
‘I told him no. No way. That’s weird,’ the teen told the newspaper. ‘I’m only 17. You’re a grown man.’
The second teen alleged Scaglione sent shirtless pictures to him.
‘He sent a picture of himself at the gym with his shirt off, flexing in the mirror. And then he proceeded to ask me questions about me taking my shirt off,’ the teen said.
The teen said he told Scaglione that he wasn’t gay and that he has a girlfriend.
Scaglione has not been charged with any crimes. Scaglione had worked for KCCI in the weather department since March 2009, when he was 17, per his LinkedIn account.
He received his bachelor’s degree at AIB College of Business and studied meteorology online through Mississippi State University.
His Twitter and Facebook accounts were apparently deleted Sunday. He had more than 13,200 followers on Twitter.