CNN and CNN International reporter Richard Quest has predictably gone into rehab as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. You may remember that Quest was arrested with methamphetamine in his pocket in Central Park last Friday. Equally surprising was that Quest had a rope tied around his genitalia and some sort of sex toy in his boot at the time. Quest was in the park around 3:45 in the morning, well after it’s closed. I’m guessing it was the rope that made police really pay attention – otherwise they probably would have just yelled at him to get out of the park.

As part of his plea deal, the charges against Quest will be dropped, pending successful completion of his treatment.

CNN’s UK-born presenter Richard Quest has embarked on a course of drug rehabilitation following his arrest last Friday in New York. The US news broadcaster today issued a statement confirming that Quest, a familiar face on the network, had entered a “drug rehabilitation facility” on the orders of a judge following his arrest.

“At this time, CNN’s primary concern is for his health and wellbeing. We look forward to Richard returning to CNN International,” the broadcaster said in a statement. A CNN spokesman declined to “speculate” on when Quest would return to the network he joined in 2001. He began his career as a BBC news trainee in 1985 and spent 16 years at the corporation.

During a court arraignment early on Saturday, he agreed to undergo drug counseling and therapy for the next six months in order to avoid a prison sentence. At CNN Quest has made his name as a business reporter and presenter. He also hosts the monthly specials CNN World Business Traveler and fronted the Quest series of shows on diverse subjects.

[From the Guardian]

It will be interesting to see what kind of career awaits Richard Quest at CNN. The network is notoriously intolerant of their employees getting any kind of press for anything outside the direct scope of their jobs. They fired producer Chez Pazienza for running his popular blog Deus Ex Malcontent. What in the world do you think a dildo in the shoe will get Richard Quest?

On Friday morning CNN journalist Richard Quest was arrested in Central Park with methamphetamine in his pocket. Quest is best known for his work on CNN’s late-night international programming and his hour-long show Quest. Originally it was reported that Quest was arrested for being in the park after it was closed… and while that’s technically true, it turns out there’s a lot more to the story than that. According to the New York Post, there was a good deal of kink going on when Quest was arrested – he had a rope around his neck that was also tied to his genitals.

CNN personality Richard Quest was busted in Central Park early yesterday with some drugs in his pocket, a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals, and a sex toy in his boot, law-enforcement sources said. Quest, 46, was arrested at around 3:40 a.m. after a cop spotted him and another man inside the park near 64th Street, a police source said.

The criminal complaint against Quest said the park was closed at the time - something Quest should have known because of all the signs saying “Park Closed 1 a.m. to 6 a.m.” Quest was initially busted for loitering, the source said. Aside from the oddly configured rope, the search also turned up a sex toy inside of his boot, and a small bag of methamphetamine in his left jacket pocket.

It wasn’t immediately clear what the rope was for.

[From the New York Post]

I’m sure we can all guess a few things that the rope might have been for. How many of us have enjoyed playing Cowboys and Indians in the park? The rope was obviously for some kind of lasso. Or perhaps to wrangle wayward cattle. While I personally have never encountered any member of the bovine family in Central Park, it’s a pretty big place and you never know what animals you’ll stumble upon. It sounds to me like Richard Quest was just following the Boy Scout motto of always being prepared. Last time I checked the Boy Scouts didn’t include any mention of sex toys and meth, but times are changing and I could just be out of the loop.

The other man that was with Quest was given a summons for not having any identification on him. Quest was not charged with lewdness because he wasn’t exposing himself. So for any of you out-of-towners, it’s good to know that it’s perfectly legal to tie ropes around your genitals in public. But not having your I.D. on you might get you in a bit of trouble.

Quest spent most of Friday behind bars while his lawyer negotiated with the district attorney. He agreed to six months of drug counseling, and in return will have the charge dismissed upon successful completion of the drug program. Really, not a bad deal for hording meth and sex toys, when you think about it. If Quest had been caught doing the same thing in a Tad’s Steakhouse, he would have been given applause and a free dinner.

CNN reporter and business travel expert Richard Quest was arrested this morning by police in Central Park. He was originally detained for breaking the park’s curfew (it’s closed from 1 a.m. – 6 a.m.) at 3:40 in the morning. As he was being escorted out of the park by officers, he voluntarily told them that he had methamphetamine in his pocket. He was then arrested and was arraigned today on drug possession charges.

Richard Quest, a reporter and business travel specialist for CNN International, is being arraigned today on a misdemeanor charge of drug possession after the authorities said he was found with methamphetamine in Central Park.

The police noticed Mr. Quest at 64th Street and West Drive at about 3:40 a.m., the official said. As he was being escorted out, he volunteered, “I have meth in my pocket,” according to an official briefed on the case. The police searched him and recovered a small amount of methamphetamine in a Ziploc bag.

Mr. Quest is a high-profile correspondent for CNN International, known for feature reports and profiles. CNN calls Mr. Quest, who is British, one of the network’s “most instantly recognizable members.” He hosts “CNN Business Traveler” and a feature program titled “Quest” for the news network. CNN had no immediate comment.

[From the New York Times]

Richard Quest is definitely one of the more recognizable reporters on CNN. He’s known for his big grin and generally ebullient nature – and of course his distinctive British accent. He also was won the Funniest Newsman contest at Infohunks.

64th and West Drive is only five blocks up and about a block into the park from CNN’s headquarters at Columbus Circle. Quest must keep pretty odd hours due to the nature of his job – he reports for both CNN and CNN International. One can only wonder if he was working at the studio late at night and left for… well obvious reasons. Richard Quest always has so much energy on the air - I always attributed that to him being a real character, but now I’m starting to rethink a bit.