Paducah, KY – A Lyon County Kentucky man was sentenced this week to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release, for possession of child pornography and being a felon in possession of a firearm. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials opened an investigation into Kenneth Swartz, 64, after receiving a complaint alleging that Swartz, a convicted felon and registered sex offender, attempted to photograph a minor while shopping at a local store on May 28, 2020. The Eddyville Police Department confirmed the events after reviewing store security footage and, on May 29, 2020, a search warrant was executed on Swartz’s residence where a Savage Arms, Stevens model 94 shotgun and several cell phones were recovered. On June 24, 2020, law enforcement became aware that Swartz possessed an additional cell phone which he kept hidden under a sink at the residence. A second search warrant was executed, and the cell phone was recovered. Forensic analysis of the cell phones revealed that they contained over 200 images of child pornography.
“The sentence imposed in this case – ten years in prison followed by a lifetime of federal supervision – is the direct result of outstanding work and partnership between our local and federal law enforcement agencies,” said Michael A. Bennett, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. “I commend the Eddyville Police Department, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Paducah Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations for keeping our communities safe.”
The Eddyville Police Department, with the assistance of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Paducah Police Department, and the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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