Former Kentucky constable, firefighter sentenced on federal child pornography charge
A former Harrison County constable and Paris firefighter has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after he was convicted of producing child pornography.
William Michael Fields Jr., 37, was found guilty by a federal jury in June. He had been accused of using his positions as a constable and a Paris Fire Department firefighter to get close with the 17-year-old victim, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
The victim in the case was interested in a career in law enforcement or emergency medicine, according to the announcement. The victim met Fields in early 2019 while visiting a fire station in Harrison County, and the two started talking through Snapchat.
In March of 2019, Fields had sex with the victim twice, once in the back of an ambulance, and filmed both occasions, according to the announcement. Fields was also accused of giving the victim alcohol.
By federal law, Fields will have to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence.
“This conduct is simply inexcusable — the defendant abused his positions of trust and authority, as a firefighter and constable, and used them to sexually exploit a minor victim,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “He further victimized her by knowingly using her to create images of child pornography. This despicable conduct warrants significant punishment, both to hold him accountable and to deter others from engaging in similar conduct.”
The case was investigated by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and the Cynthiana Police Department. U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves sentenced Fields.
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 4:59 PM.
