Montgomery, Alabama - Kevin Wayne Taylor (40), a resident of Phenix City, Alabama and former Lee County Deputy Sheriff, was sentenced on Thursday, July 27, 2017 to 240 months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced A. Clark Morris, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) arrested Taylor on these charges in August 2016 following an investigation that began when a 10-year-old victim reported that he had inappropriately touched her and taken pictures of her genital area with a cell phone. After receiving the report, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office immediately forwarded it to the SBI who executed a search warrant at Taylor’s residence and seized several computer devices. Some of the devices contained images and videos of child sexual abuse. Evidence indicates that Taylor had been collecting these images for approximately eleven years. When learning of the evidence in this case, Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones promptly terminated Taylor’s employment.
The cell phone used to take pictures of the child victim was not located during the search. Taylor told law enforcement that he had lost the phone and it was damaged. Prior to the investigation, Taylor had applied for a position as a School Resource Officer.
Following his 20-year prison sentence, Taylor will be subject to supervised release for the remainder of his life. Taylor remains in the custody of the United States Marshals pending placement by the Bureau of Prisons.
“Kevin Taylor was a child predator disguised as a law enforcement officer who was charged with protecting our community," said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris. “Taylor not only failed to protect our community, but infected our community by preying on children. I thank the agents and prosecutors in this case for their hard work in obtaining such a strong sentence. This prosecution should send a message to others that the protection of our children will always be a priority, and those that victimize our children will be punished to the fullest extent of the law."
“No matter who you are, ALEA will pursue criminals that target children," stated Alabama’s Secretary of Law Enforcement Hal Taylor. “While the vast majority of our law enforcement serve with honor and integrity, those officers that break the law will be treated like every other criminal we investigate."
Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones stated, “My office will continue its work to identify threats to the community and we will not tolerate anything but professional conduct from those who serve in our ranks. When matters such as this are brought to our attention, we will take swift action and assist agencies in any way possible to ensure these types of crimes are dealt with properly."
This case was investigated by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Hollie Worley Reed and Curtis Ivy, Jr., prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
