Darrin Bell, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, arrested on child pornography charges
Darrin Bell, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist whose satirical designs have decorated papers for years, was arrested in California Wednesday after authorities said they discovered a cache of child pornography in his home, the Sacramento Country Sheriff’s Office reports.
The “Candorville” creator, 49, was arrested by sheriff’s detectives after a months-long investigation that began with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Authorities reportedly discovered over 100 child pornography videos, some of which were artificial intelligence-generated, in Bell’s possession. The discovery came after Bell allegedly had been connected to an online account that shared 134 videos of sexual abuse involving minors.
Bell is being held at Sacramento’s main jail on two felony counts with the bail set at $1 million, according to inmate records. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
His arrest, under an amended California law that bars the possession of computer-generated child sex abuse material, marks a first for Sacramento County. The law was widened to include AI material and went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year.
A California native, Bell began his comic career with features in mainstay Golden State papers like The Daily Californian, The Los Angeles Times and The San Francisco Chronicle. His characters graduated to the national stage in 2003 when “Candorville” began appearing in The Washington Post. The Washington Post Group syndicated his work.
Bell won a Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for his work in editorial cartooning. The Pulitzer organization called his work “beautiful and daring” and lauded him for “editorial cartoons that took on issues affecting disenfranchised communities, calling out lies, hypocrisy and fraud in the political turmoil surrounding the Trump administration.”
An oft-critic of Trump and his hold on the Republican Party, Bell’s work was known for a biting tone. USA TODAY has syndicated his cartoons in the past.
We’ve never been particularly fond of the Lexus RC, but that won’t stop us from mourning the death of yet another V-8. Lexus has confirmed that the regular RC and the eight-cylinder RC F will end production after this year. That means they won’t be retired immediately, rather 2025 marks the final model year for both cars.
Before it goes, the RC gets one minor visual change, as it adopts red brake calipers (changed from orange). That only applies to rear-drive RC F Sport models, though, as the other trims are unchanged.
Things are slightly more exciting for the proper RC F, which will be sold exclusively in Final Edition form for 2025. The last version of the RC F builds off last year’s Carbon Package model, so it features a carbon-fiber treatment for the front spoiler, rear diffuser, roof, and the active rear wing.
The RC F rides on a set of 19-inch BBS wheels, and there’s even a special engine-cover badge for its 5.0-liter V-8. As with the lesser RC, the F gets red brake calipers. The interior gets a new look too, with the leather and Ultrasuede finished in a special red and black job.
The last RC F we tested was the 2021 Fuji Speedway Edition, which we guided to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat. While certainly not slow, the $100,000 Lexus continues to fall by the wayside of competitors in the same price class. Still, we’ll lament the loss of yet another naturally aspirated V-8 on our roads.
For the final model year, the 2025 Lexus RC300, with its turbo four and rear-wheel drive, starts at $46,445. The all-wheel-drive version has a naturally aspirated V-6 and is priced at $49,135. Meanwhile, the RC350 has a more powerful version of the same V-6; it starts at $49,375 and $51,540 for rear- or all-wheel drive, respectively. The RC F Final Edition starts at $94,000 and features a 472-hp 5.0-liter V-8.
