Attorney General Daniel Cameron
FRANKFORT, KY (September 1, 2022) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced today that a prosecution by his Office of Special Prosecutions led to the guilty plea and sentencing of three Kentuckians, Ethan Sparks, 24, of Central City; Gillian Bledsoe, 24, of Drakesboro; and Justin Gibson, 23, of Greenville for child exploitation.
On August 29, Sparks pleaded guilty to seven counts of unlawful transaction with a minor second degree, a Class D felony, and 21 counts of facilitation to unlawful transaction with a minor second degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Bledsoe and Gibson each pleaded guilty to one count of facilitation to unlawful transaction with a minor second degree, a Class A misdemeanor.
On the same day, Muhlenberg Circuit Court Judge Brian Wiggins sentenced Sparks to five years and Bledsoe and Gibson to 12 months each.
From 2017 to 2019, Sparks induced and assisted minors in the collection of sexually graphic images, which he then distributed online. Bledsoe and Gibson assisted him by facilitating the distribution of these images.
The Electronic Crime Branch of Kentucky State Police conducted the investigation, and the Attorney General's Office of Special Prosecutions prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.
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