
Kentucky State Police Charges Webster County Man With Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses
SEBREE, Ky. (April 24, 2025) — On April 22, 2025, at approximately 12:12 p.m., the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Electronic Crime Branch arrested Joseph Lee Kellems, 32, on charges related to child sexual abuse material.
Mr. Kellems was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after discovering the suspect procuring a minor online.
The investigation resulted in an interview in Morganfield, KY on April 22, 2025. Equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for examination. The investigation is ongoing.
Mr. Kellems is currently charged with two counts of promoting / procuring use of a minor by electronic means. These charges are Class-C felonies punishable by five to ten years in prison. Mr. Kellems was lodged in the Webster 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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