Jackson County man charged with distributing child pornography

A Jackson County man was arrested Thursday on charges related to child sexual exploitation, Kentucky State Police said.

David W. Ledford, 29, was charged with 10 counts of distribution and 20 counts of possession of matter portraying a sex performance by a minor. Each charge is a felony punishable by one to five years in prison.

Ledford was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. Detectives with the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch began investigating after observing Ledford sharing images of child sexual exploitation online. This included images of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts.

The investigation resulted in the execution of a search warrant Thursday at Ledford’s home. Equipment used in the alleged crimes was seized and taken to the state police forensic laboratory for examination.

Ledford was being held in the Jackson County jail.

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Jackson County man charged with distributing child pornography."