Bardstown man faces more than 2,000 child porn charges

A Bardstown man is facing more than 2,000 counts of distribution and possession of child pornography.

Richard Keene

On Feb. 2, Bardstown Police and the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch conducted a search warrant at the home of Richard Keene, 44. KSP reports that it seized a computer allegedly used to distribute child pornography, along with thousands of explicit videos and images. These items were reportedly examined by the KSP Forensic Laboratory before Keene’s arrest.

The arrest was the result of an undercover investigation that began in September 2011, KSP reported in a press release. Keene came under suspicion after detectives reportedly discovered someone sharing images of the sexual exploitation of children on the Internet, the release said.

Officer Jason Woodson, who heads the Bardstown Police Department’s Cyber Crimes Unit, said the two agencies decided to work together when they realized they were investigating the same person.

“We were both working the case and KSP had a little more than what I had at that given time, so we agreed to work mutually,” he said.

Keene was arrested Feb. 16 and charged with 11 counts of distribution of matter portraying a sex performance and 2,000 counts of matter portraying sex performance by a minor. As of Monday morning, Keene remained in Nelson County Jail on a $9,500 cash bond.

The distribution charge, Woodson explained, means Keene was allegedly sharing images or videos online.

“We kind of monitor peer-to-peer networks. I guess you can say we monitor any kind of sharing that goes on online,” he said.

Woodson said this was the largest number of charges he had seen in a cyber crimes case he has been involved in so far. The Bardstown Police Department’s Cyber Crimes Unit has been up and running since May 2011, and Woodson said several investigations are ongoing. At least two arrests have been made as a result of Woodson’s investigations.

“We are trying to get these predators off the street,” he said.

ERIN L. MCCOY can be contacted at emccoy@kystandard.com.