Mug shot of Eric Gillespie, Govini Founder and Chairman.
Courtesy: Pennsylvania Attorney General
Govini founder Eric Gillespie, who is charged with four felonies, including multiple counts of unlawful contact with a minor, was released on bail.
Gillespie, who lives in Pittsburgh, posted a $1 million bond after his court appearance Thursday. He is not allowed to travel, and his passport has been revoked.
He was initially denied bail following his arrest on Nov. 7, with the judge citing flight risk and public safety concerns.
David Shrager of Shrager Defense Attorneys, who represents Gillespie, insisted that his client did not break any laws.
“Mr. Gillespie has never contacted a minor, either online or in person, and the facts clearly prove that,” Shrager said after the hearing on Thursday.
“Completely false statements, including the use of artificial intelligence between adults made in the context of an online fantasy chat, are not illegal,” he added.
Gillespie’s next court date is Dec. 18.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office said Gillespie sent lewd photos to an agent posing as a father offering his daughter to be abused, and made graphic comments about sexual acts with children.
Gillespie, 57, commented on the security of the encrypted platforms being used in the chats between him and the undercover agent, according to a criminal complaint obtained by CNBC.
Gillespie is the founder of defense contractor Govini.
He was listed on the company’s website on the leadership page as a board member on Aug. 17, according to an archived version of the page available on the Wayback Machine.
The company said it removed him from the website on Nov. 10 when he was placed on administrative leave.
Govini terminated Gillespie on Nov. 12.
Earlier this year, Govini landed a nearly $1 billion contract with the Department of Defense. The company’s suite of artificial intelligence-enabled applications is used by every department of the U.S. military and other federal agencies.
Following his arrest, Pentagon officials said they were looking into Gillespie and possible security issues.
CNBC has repeatedly asked the Department of Defense about updates on the status of the probe and potential security concerns with Govini or Gillespie.
“We don’t comment on ongoing investigations,” a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday.
