Three Muhlenberg County residents indicted on child pornography charges

Apr. 28—Three Muhlenberg County residents have been indicted for child pornography charges, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced Wednesday.

Ethan Aaron Sparks, 23, of Central City, Gillian Marie Bledsoe, 24, of Drakesboro, and Justin Lake Gibson, 23, of Greenville, were each indicted April 22 by the Muhlenberg County grand jury for charges related to the distribution and possession of child pornography.

Sparks, Bledsoe and Gibson were each indicted on one count of distribution of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor, a Class D felony.

Sparks was also indicted on 26 counts of possession of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor, also a Class D felony, according to the release issued by the attorney general's office.

The case involves images of minors that were distributed on the internet and possessed between 2017 and 2019, according to Elizabeth Kuhn, communications director for Cameron's office.

"Kentucky State Police received notice that the images were present on the internet and began their investigation," Kuhn said in an email.

"Our office became involved as the investigation began in 2020, and we will remain the special prosecutor in the case following the indictments."

Multiple calls and messages to the Kentucky State Police were not returned.

Kuhn said the three individuals were not working together to create the material and that no other details about the case could be shared at this time, as the case is pending.

Det. Lloyd Ray, of the KSP Cyber Crimes Unit, investigated the case, along with the assistance of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Assistant Attorney General Eric Finke presented the case to the Muhlenberg County County grand jury on behalf of the commonwealth, the release said.

Bobbie Hayse, bhayse@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7315