Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear is praising local law enforcement for the first two arrests associated with a new unit orchestrated to target child predators.
Operation Shielded Child utilized the A-G’s CyberCrimes Unit and the McCracken County Sheriff’s office to implement the sting operations the last several weeks. Beshear was in Paducah Thursday afternoon to announce the first success cases of the program before it expands statewide.
“So let me send a message to the predators out there looking to take advantage of our children: we will find you, we will arrest you, you cannot hide no matter what community you’re in," said Beshear.
The sting resulted in the arrests of David Price of Paducah, who is charged with 20 counts of possession of a child pornography, and Mark Allen Johnson of Bowling Green who traveled to Paducah after soliciting sex acts with an undercover investigator posing as a minor. Upon arrival Johnson was arrested by investigators.
Pending the forensic examination of equipment collected during the searches, investigators anticipate additional child pornography arrests in the area.
The McCracken County Commonwealth Attorney will handle Operation Shielded Child cases.
The A-G’s office has arrested or convicted 30 sexual predators since Beshear took office January 4th. Beshear says he wants that number to triple by the end of the year.
