Kentucky State Police Charges Whitley Co. Man With Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (June 28, 2024) – On June 27, 2024, at approximately 2:00 p.m., the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Electronic Crime Branch located, interviewed, and arrested Tanner Isaiah Caine Petrey, 24, related to a child sexual abuse material investigation.

Petrey was interviewed as the result of an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after receiving a complaint that the suspect was sharing sexually explicit images of juveniles to an online social media account.

The investigation resulted in seizing electronic devices from Mr. Petrey and his home in Williamsburg. These devices, believed to have been used to facilitate the crime and were taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for examination.

Petrey is currently charged with 20 counts of distributing matter portraying a minor over 12 but under 18 in a sexual performance. This charge is a Class-D felony punishable by one to five years in prison. Petrey was lodged in the Whitley 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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