A man from Debord, Kentucky, Dustin Newsome, 35, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for producing child pornography. U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell delivered the sentence on Friday.
The case began in August 2023 when the parent of a minor victim reported finding THC vape cartridges in their child's room. The minor revealed that they received the cartridges and a cellphone from mail carrier Newsome in exchange for nude images and sexually explicit videos. Authorities found nine minors who admitted to creating explicit content at Newsome's request.
A search of Newsome’s home uncovered devices containing numerous explicit images and videos involving minors, including recordings of live chats with at least four victims. Additionally, several hundred images and videos of prepubescent minors engaged in sexual conduct were found on his electronic devices. These materials had been collected since 2013.
Federal law requires Newsome to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before release. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be under supervision by the U.S. Probation Office for ten years and must pay $105,000 in restitution.
The sentencing was announced by Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP with Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse online. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
