Lexington men charged in child porn sting

Thu, October 27, 2022

Crime & Justice, Featured

Lexington Times Web Editor

Lexington, KY–Kentucky State Police have arrested two Lexington men in separate cases of child exploitation and abuse. Spencer L. Dodson, 34, and Matthew R. Mullins, 28, have been charged with possession of child pornography.

Mullins and Dodson were arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after discovering the suspects sharing images of child sexual exploitation online. Equipment used to facilitate the crimes was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for further examination.

Mullins and Dodson were charged with one count of possessing or viewing matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. Possessing or viewing matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor is a Class-D Felony punishable by one to five years in prison.

Mullins was lodged in the Fayette County Detention Center, but appears to have been released on $2,500 bond. Dodson is still in custody at FCDC.

The Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is comprised of more than twenty-six local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the United States Department of Justice and administered by the Kentucky State Police, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing a response to cyber enticement and child sexual abuse material investigations. This support encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, prevention and community education.

The ICAC program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the heightened online activity of predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.