FRANKFORT, Ky (Nov. 22, 2024) – On Friday, November 22, 2024, Attorney General Russell Coleman announced that action from the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit resulted in a 10-year recommended sentence of Kent Simpkins, 43, of Salyersville, for the possession and distribution of child sex abuse material and a sexual crime against an animal.
Following a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), law enforcement searched Simpkins’ IP address and social media. They found multiple images of minors involved in sexual acts, numerous animal sex videos and a video of Simpkins involved in a sexual act with the family’s dog.
This week, Simpkins pleaded guilty to seven felony counts and will receive a 10-year sentence. As conditions of the plea, he will be a lifetime registrant on the Kentucky Sex Offender Registry and receive five years of post-incarceration supervision.
On Thursday, November 21, 2024, Kent Simpkins pleaded guilty to:
- One count of Distribution of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor under 12 (Class C Felony)
- Three counts of Possession of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor under 12 (Class C Felony)
- Two counts of Possession of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor over 12 (Class D Felony)
- One count of a Sexual Crime Against an Animal (Class D Felony)
A Magoffin County Grand Jury previously indicted Simpkins on May 16, 2024.
“A single tip to law enforcement led to a 10-year sentence that will keep this dangerous predator away from our children. I am grateful to the investigators and prosecutors who stare into this darkness to protect our families from these serious crimes,” said Attorney General Coleman.
The Kentucky State Police Electronic Crimes Branch investigated the case. Assistant Attorney General Lindsey Studebaker prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.
Simpkins will be sentenced on March 6, 2025.
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