Former EKU professor pleads guilty to child pornography charges, prosecutors say
A former Eastern Kentucky University professor who was found to be putting cameras in men’s bathrooms and locker rooms has pleaded guilty to federal sex crimes.
Kyle Knezevich, 36, pleaded guilty to attempting to produce child pornography charges Tuesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Knezevich originally faced charges of voyeurism, possessing matter portraying sexual performance by a minor, promoting a minor in a sexual performance, five counts of promoting a sexual performance by a minor and five counts of possessing matter of a sexual performance of a minor, according to court records.
On Sept. 7, an EKU student located a hidden camera inside the Whalen Complex on campus. An investigation revealed that the camera had been placed in the bathroom by Knezevich, who at the time was a professor at the university. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Knezevich’s home and electronic devices.
The search revealed Knezevich produced recordings of both adult and minor males, from approximately 2009 through 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“The videos were recorded in bathroom settings, including locker rooms, urinals, and the bathroom of his personal residence. In these videos, minor males can be seen in various states of nudity, including using the restroom, undressing, and showering,” a news release from the Department of Justice said.
As part of his plea, Knezevich admitted his intent in creating the videos was to capture the minor males engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to the DOJ.
Knezevich is scheduled to be sentenced April 16. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. He was formerly an associate professor of aviation.
