By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
A Christian County man, who was one of hundreds of people who received pardons or commutations during former Gov. Matt Bevin’s last days in office, has been indicted on federal charges.
Dayton Jones, 24, of Hopkinsville, has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with one count of producing child sex abuse material, specifically, child pornography from the 2014 incident, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Kentucky announced on Tuesday.
Jones is alleged to have created a video on a smartphone depicting child pornography and sharing the video with others using the social media app Snapchat in 2014. He was one of four people who pled guilty for their roles in an attack on an unconscious 15-year-old boy at a party.
After pleading guilty in 2016 to state charges of involving sodomy, wanton endangerment, and distribution of material depicting the sexual performance of a minor at Christian Circuit Court, Jones received a 15-year prison term. He had his sentence commuted by Bevin in December.
About a month after his commutation, Jones was indicted on another charge, stemming from an incident that occurred while he was still an inmate at the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in La Grange. He was indicted Jan. 10 by the Oldham County grand jury on one count of first-degree promoting contraband and one count of second-degree persistent felony offender.
Oldham County Commonwealth’s Attorney Courtney Baxter told the Kentucky New Era that Jones was caught Sept. 14 with suboxone, an opioid used to treat addiction while in prison. The drugs were sent to a lab for testing and the results confirmed Dec. 30 that it was suboxone after Jones was already released.
The federal charges stem from the incident in 2014.
“This prosecution is about one thing and one thing only, Mr. Jones’ conduct in harming someone’s child in the Western District of Kentucky in violation of federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “It serves as a reminder that despite these uncertain times, Kentucky families are well-served by some inspiring federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals that put themselves at risk to protect our kids.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was also involved in the investigation and arrest.
“FBI Louisville stands ready, alongside our federal, state, and local partners, to find and hold accountable criminals who seek to exploit one of our most vulnerable populations, our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Brown, FBI Louisville Field Office. “Even in these trying times, our investigators will work tirelessly to ensure the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky are protected from those who seek to victimize them.”
Jones faces a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence in federal prison, with a maximum of 30 years, a $250,000.00 fine, and supervised release of five years up to and including life. There is no parole in the federal system.
Bevin issued hundreds of pardons before leaving office in December, attracting criticism from lawmakers, prosecutors, and victims for a handful of pardons of violent felons that appeared to be politically motivated.
Christian County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling admitted to writing a letter to Bevin in December on Jones’ behalf. Boling later publicly apologized for the letter, asking for forgiveness for the “embarrassment that I have caused this community.”