A Greenup County man, Richard Burton, 50, has been sentenced to 174 months in prison for the distribution of child pornography. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge David Bunning on Monday.
According to Burton's guilty plea, law enforcement received a tip on January 10, 2024, about child pornography on the social media platform Kik. It was discovered that Burton owned the flagged account. Authorities found at least eight images or videos depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct upon reviewing the account. A search warrant for Burton and his electronic devices revealed further evidence supporting the initial findings from Kik records. Messages also indicated that Burton sent and received child pornography. He admitted to knowingly distributing and possessing these materials.
Under federal law, Burton is required to serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. After his release, he will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 25 years.
The sentencing announcement was made jointly by Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police.
The investigation was conducted by both the FBI and KSP, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse online. The project utilizes resources from federal, state, and local levels to locate and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.