PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A Martin County man has pleaded guilty to federal child porn charges, after admitting to coercing teens to send him explicit videos.
Dustin Newsome, 35, of Debord, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of coercing minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for child porn and one count of possessing child porn.
The case came to investigators’ attention in August, when a parent reported finding THC vape cartridges in her son’s room. When the son was questioned, he admitted to obtaining the cartridges, alcohol, a cellphone and other items of value from a mail carrier, later identified as Newsome, in exchange for sending him explicit pictures and videos.
As the investigation progressed, police learned that a total of nine boys ranging in age from 12 to 16 were providing Newsome with pictures and videos in exchange for THC vapes, alcohol, money and video game currency.
When police raided Newsome’s home, they found recordings of at least four of the boys, as well as hundreds of child porn pictures and videos.
Newsome now faces up to 30 years for the coercion charge and up to 20 years for the child porn charge when he is sentenced in January. He could also be ordered to pay up to $67,000 in fines, as well as restitution of at least $3,000 to each of the nine victims.
