Former Kentucky pastor convicted of rape 40 years after committing sex crime
A former Kentucky pastor was found guilty of raping a child about 40 years after the sex crime occurred, according to Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office.
Samuel McKinney, 60, was found guilty by an Estill County jury of first-degree rape against a child under 12 years of age. Court records show that McKinney was also charged with four counts of first-degree sexual abuse and four counts of first-degree sodomy, but the jury did not return a verdict on those charges.
The jury recommended McKinney serve 20 years in prison, according to the attorney general’s office. McKinney will be required to serve 85% of the sentence before he is eligible for parole. McKinney will also have to register as a lifetime sex offender.
The abuse happened between May 1982 and December 1985, according to the attorney general’s office. The victim, who is now 50 years old, told investigators the abuse happened about once a month and stopped when she was about 11.
The victim reported the abuse in 2023 after learning McKinney was a pastor in Irvine, according to the attorney general’s office.
“In our Commonwealth, there is no statute of limitations for felony charges, which allowed this courageous woman to come forward and report her abuse after all these years,” Coleman said in a press release. “Her bravery was critical to putting this criminal behind bars, and we hope her example will encourage others in similar situations to come forward.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Todd Willard and Lindsey Studebaker. McKinney is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, according to the attorney general’s office.
