Lexington teacher who pleaded guilty to child pornography charges is being fired

A former Henry Clay High School English teacher who pleaded guilty in November to production and possession of child pornography is officially being fired by Fayette County Public Schools.

Kevin Daniel Lentz had been suspended since his August arrest, but personnel changes in the Jan. 22 school board meeting agenda show his termination was initiated Nov. 7. Lentz pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court to two child pornography-related offenses.

He will be sentenced Feb. 1, recent court records show.

Lentz initially faced 15 to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography and a maximum sentence of 20 years for possession of child pornography. Court records filed this week show Lentz is opposing a proposed enhanced sentence.

Lentz had worked for the district since 2005, Fayette County Public Schools spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith previously told the Herald-Leader.

Lentz admitted that he began an explicit online conversation with a victim on March 19, a previous news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky said.

Within minutes, Lentz sent the victim 85 images or videos of adult pornography, including sexually explicit images and videos of Lentz, his plea agreement says. Lentz also persuaded the victim to create and send multiple sexually explicit videos and images of himself to Lentz via the internet.

Lentz acknowledged that, at the time, he knew the victim was a minor, according to his plea agreement. The victim in the case is a 9-year-old boy from New Hampshire.

A search warrant was executed at Lentz’s home in Lexington on Aug. 8, revealing several hundred additional images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct that Lentz obtained from the internet.

A state court case is still pending, records show.