Kameron Thomas, a Walton, Kentucky resident, was sentenced on April 30 to 37 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for accessing child pornography with the intent to view it.
The case is significant as it highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to combat online child exploitation and enforce related laws. The sentence comes after an investigation found that Thomas regularly accessed illegal material using the dark web.
According to court documents, Thomas’s involvement came to light after his roommate, Ronald Knox, distributed a depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct through a BitTorrent peer-to-peer network in January 2025. Law enforcement searched their residence in May 2025. During the search, Thomas admitted he had been viewing child pornography via a Tor browser on his smartphone for years. Evidence from his device confirmed these admissions. Knox has already been sentenced to 168 months for distributing and possessing child pornography.
Under federal law, Thomas must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for release and will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for fifteen years afterward. Jason D. Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Chief Craig Patrick Sorrell of the Campbell County Police Department jointly announced the sentencing decision.
The FBI and Campbell County Police Department led the investigation into this case while Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Spievack prosecuted it on behalf of federal authorities.
This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at fighting child sexual exploitation online—according to information provided by Project Safe Childhood’s website (www.projectsafechildhood.gov).
The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky enforces federal laws and maintains community safety through prosecutions and partnerships with agencies addressing issues such as elder abuse and drug prevention according to its official website. The office also collaborates with state and local agencies on initiatives like the Elder Justice Task Force and Heroin Education Action Team according to its official website.
Additionally, several early U.S. Attorneys from this district have held prominent positions including seats on the Supreme Court or as governor according to its official website. The office serves communities across eastern Kentucky under guidance from the Department of Justice according to its official website.
