Fayette County jail lieutenant charged with sex offenses, records show
A Fayette County Detention Center lieutenant has been placed on administrative assignment after he was indicted on multiple sex offenses, officials say.
Joseph Price, 44, was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury on four counts of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor and one count of first-degree attempted unlawful sexual transaction with a minor, according to court records.
Maj. Matt LeMonds with the Fayette County Detention Center confirmed that Price was a lieutenant at the jail and had been employed by the Division of Community Corrections since 2012. Price’s law enforcement status with the jail has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, LeMonds said.
The alleged incidents took place in Franklin County between January 2018 and April 2023, according to the indictment. The victim was under 16 years old on four of the five alleged offenses, according to the indictment.
The indictment indicates there were at least two victims. The indictment says Price “induced, assisted, or caused” the victims to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Price posted a $25,000 full-cash bond, court records say. He will be arraigned in Franklin County Circuit Court Friday.
