Kentucky State Police Charges Pulaski Co. Man With Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses
SCIENCE HILL, Ky. (October 24, 2024) –On October 23, 2024, at approximately 12:50 p.m., the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Electronic Crime Branch located, interviewed and arrested Tyler Jordan Vaught, 28, on charges related to a child sexual abuse material investigation.
Vaught was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after discovering Mr. Vaught sharing sexually explicit images of a young juvenile online.
The investigation resulted in conducting a Knock and Talk at a residence in Science Hill on October 23, 2024. Equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for examination. The investigation is still ongoing.
Tyler J. Vaught is currently charged with 20 counts of distribution of matter portraying a minor under the age of 12 in a sexual performance and two counts of possession of matter portraying a minor under the age of 12 in a sexual performance. These two charges are both Class-C felonies punishable by five to ten years in prison. He was lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center.
The Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is comprised of more than twenty-six local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the United States Department of Justice and administrated by the Kentucky State Police, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing a response to cyber enticement and child sexual abuse material investigations. This support encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, prevention and community education. The ICAC program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material and the heightened online activity of predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.
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