GALLATIN COUNTY, Ky. — The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office is asking parents for their help because they've been "hit with a rash" of sextortion cases involving juveniles — and after a new Kentucky law went into effect this year, those cases can carry high penalties.
"Parents, we need your help!" reads the press release from the sheriff's office. "At the beginning of school this year we had a talk with students about the dangers of the internet, nudity and their cell phones. We went over a few of the laws that regulated these offenses and some of their punishments. Our conversation has obviously fallen on deaf ears as we have been hit with a rash of them involving multiple juveniles."
Sextortion, described as one of the fastest-growing crimes, occurs when a perpetrator obtains a sexually explicit photo and threatens to release it unless the victim meets certain demands, which could be monetary, sexual, or other forms of blackmail.
The explicit images may be obtained in various ways: willingly shared by the victim, created using artificial intelligence, or taken without the person's knowledge.
The Gallatin County Commonwealth's Attorney's office told us around 7 children are currently involved in sextortion incidents in the county, on both the alleged victim side and the alleged perpetrator side. Those children's ages range from 12 to 17, prosecutors said.
The sheriff's office points out that, since SB-73 was signed by Governor Andy Beshear back in March, the legal repercussions for engaging in sexual extortion have been enhanced. The crime is also now included in the state's definition of a "sex crime."
David Arvin, superintendent of Gallatin County Schools also sent a letter to parents and guardians of students advising them to speak with their children about "the dangers of sexting and the lasting consequences of sharing nude or explicit photos."
"What may seem like a joke or private moment can quickly lead to serious legal trouble, loss of their phone and harm to themselves or others," Arvin wrote. "Any incidents that come to our attention will be referred to law enforcement for investigation and prosecution."
Typically, the crime is a misdemeanor offense, but under the new law there are circumstances under which a person can be prosecuted under felony charges, the sheriff's office said.
For example, if someone were to harm themselves or die by suicide as a result of sexual extortion tied to photos, the alleged offender can be charged with assault or even homicide now, according to the sheriff's office.
The new law also requires superintendents of local school districts to require principals to notify students in grade four and up "in an age-appropriate manner" about the crime of sexual extortion. It also requires school boards to put up posters in schools with grade six and up with age-appropriate descriptions of the crime and contact information for entities that offer assistance to victims.
Postsecondary institutions must also display posters in residential facilities and buildings that hold instructional spaces, student services or academic support services.
The Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said the investigation process into these cases is lengthy, and requires a full download of any electronics involved.
"The most common question we get when we take a phone for evidence is 'when can I get it back?'" reads the release from the sheriff's office. "The answer is we can't tell you a specific time — however, it won't be any time soon. It can take months and sometimes years for a case to get adjudicated."
Any cell phone found to be portraying sexual matter involving minors are confiscated and sent for a full download, because some of the items sent are done so through apps and then deleted, the sheriff's office said.
The download process allows the sheriff's office to see data that was deleted, the press release says.
"With the increase in these types of crimes and digital evidence, the backlog continues to grow," wrote the sheriff's office. "Please have the conversation and monitor their activity. This is the last thing we want to spend time working."
