WETM’s Zack Wheeler outside a department store during a 607 Predator Hunters video that was released on YouTube this weekend.
By JOHN ANDERSON
Zach Wheeler, the WETM Ch. 18 News Director for the Corning-Elmira television station since February of this year, has been placed on leave, the station said on social media.
The YouTube channel, 607 Predator Youtube posted a video of Wheeler at a department store and claimed he drove three hours to meet an underage male teen.
Part of the video below has graphic language.
When confronted, Wheeler claimed he was just going to get the boy some help and then asked if the 607 Predator Hunters wanted money and offered to work with them on the air. They declined.
The WETM Facebook page has a statement without Wheeler’s name. The statement says, “WETM has been made aware of a video posted to YouTube regarding one of our employees,” the statement said. “The local group that posted the video claims that the employee engaged in inappropriate behavior. WETM management is looking into the questions raised by the video, and the employee will remain off the air until the situation is resolved. No charges have been filed in connection with the video.”
Wheeler’s Facebook and twitter are down and his information is no longer on the WETM website. His Instagram is still active.
Here is the video followed by the WETM site and Facebook post:
