Jury recommends life sentence for Southeastern KY man convicted of raping a 9-year-old
A Whitley County man is facing the possibility of a life sentence after a jury found him guilty of raping and sexually abusing a 9-year-old child under his care.
Preston Coffey, 27, was convicted by a jury of first-degree rape and sex abuse. The jurors recommended a life sentence, according to the Kentucky Attorney General’s office.
Coffey groomed and sexually assaulted a 9-year-old he was supposed to be a caregiver for beginning in 2024, prosecutors said.
The Kentucky State Police arrested Coffey at his Corbin home in May 2025 and charged with rape and sex abuse of a minor under 12. Prosecutors amended their indictment against him earlier this month to reflect that the victim was “vulnerable” and that his actions were part of a “continuous course of conduct,” according to court records.
After two days of testimony, a Whitley County jury found him guilty on Thursday.
"When a predator harms one of our most vulnerable, it is our job to incapacitate them as long as the law permits; full stop,” said Attorney General Russell Coleman in a statement.
Coleman said he was proud of the partnership between his office and Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronnie Bowling, the lead prosecutor in the case. The AG’s Deputy Executive Director of the Special Prosecutions Unit Ramsey Dallam assisted Bowling with the prosecution. Erica Paske of the Victims’ Advocacy Office provided victim services, the Attorney General’s office said.
Bowling specifically thanked Dallam, who he said “devoted endless hours to consoling, meeting with, and preparing our victim to testify.”
Under the jury’s recommended sentence, Coffey would be required to serve 20 years in prison before he would be eligible for parole.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5.
