A Kings Mountain, Kentucky man, Zackary Keith Jones, 35, has been sentenced to 194 months in federal prison for transporting a minor across state lines with the intent that the minor engage in sexual activity. U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom handed down the sentence on Wednesday.
According to court documents, Jones transported a minor from North Carolina to Lincoln County, Kentucky. He used Snapchat to communicate with the victim and misrepresented his age in order to persuade the victim into prohibited sexual conduct. The plea agreement states that Jones engaged in sexual acts and contact with the minor both during and after bringing her across state lines. Law enforcement found the victim on December 25, 2023, hidden in a compartment under a bedroom floor at Jones’ home; she had been reported missing from North Carolina on December 8.
Under federal law, Jones is required to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for release. After completing his prison term, he will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for twenty years.
The sentencing was announced by Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Sheriff Shawn Hines of Lincoln County.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the FBI, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. David Dalton, Commonwealth Attorney for Kentucky’s 28th Judicial Circuit provided significant assistance during both investigation and prosecution phases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton represented the government.
"This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood," according to information released by authorities. Project Safe Childhood is an initiative started by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordination among federal, state, and local agencies focused on identifying offenders and rescuing victims. More details about this initiative can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
