'Ass grabber, nut grabber' Criminal Minds director of photography, Greg St. Johns, remaining on the show after multiple on-set harassment and abuse claims from current and former crew members.

The American trade Variety is revealing that the "ass grabber and nut grabber" Criminal Minds director of photography Greg St. Johns remains on the long-running forensic procedural drama series despite several harassment and abuse claims that have been made against him by multiple men working on the show.

Greg St. Johns didn't respond to Variety's multiple requests for comment.

Behind-the-scenes, Criminal Minds seen on MultiChoice and M-Net's M-Net City (DStv 115) channel has been one very unhappy workplace for years. In August 2016 the show was forced to fire the violent and abusive actor Thomas Gibson after his physical on-set fight during which he kicked a writer.

Now it's come to light that ABC Studios, producing Criminal Minds for CBS, decided to keep Greg St. Johns as the show's directory of photography (DOP) despite multiple complaints of harassment and abuse, with numerous former and current crew members who have complained about how he allegedly grabs their genitals and behinds as part of inappropriate touching over years, as well as allegedly abusive language.

Greg St. Johns allegedly over years touches male crew members' nipples on Criminal Minds, grabbed their rear ends, inner thighs and genitals. Crew members got fired after they've complained.

Donnell Turner, who says he saw Greg St. Johns touch male crew members told Variety "he's a tyrant. By literal definition, he is a tyrant, and I feel sorry for anyone that works under him".

Former and current Criminal Minds staffers described how Greg St. Johns allegedly fosters a toxic environment on-set, have been groping male staffers genitals over years and threatened them physically, and then allegedly fired anyone who complained. 

Criminal Minds crew members said that they have reported Greg St. Johns alleged abusive behavior to the show’s senior management and human resources (HR), ABC Studios and Disney-ABC Television but that nothing has ever been done. 

In February this year ABC Studios's HR department did an investigation into Greg St. Johns but the outcome isn't known.

"I was abused by Greg St. Johns verbally and physically. The guy's an ass grabber. He's a nut grabber," said a former crew member.

Another former Criminal Minds crew member said Greg St. Johns would "rub your balls, almost like a dominant thing" and that he complained about Greg St. Johns groping to a senior staffer who said it would be looked into only to later get fired and asked to not return for the next season.