AG Coleman, Kentucky lawmakers discuss strengthening child exploitation laws

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State lawmakers, including Attorney General Russell Coleman, met in Covington on Monday to discuss passed legislation aimed at strengthening Kentucky’s child exploitation laws.

House Bill 207 passed earlier this year, banning the possession of child sex dolls and AI-generated child abuse material. Last month, the legislation was used to prosecute a Metcalfe County man.

State Rep. Stephanie Dietz, a Republican from Kenton County, introduced the legislation during the previous session.

“My colleague in Metcalfe County sent me an article and I was able to text it to my group and say we made a difference because this was the first time we saw a charge filed for possession of a child sex doll,” Dietz said.

Coleman says it’s part of other initiatives the attorney general’s office has taken to prevent child exploitation.

He says it’s a way to ensure Kentucky maintains an edge.

“These tools that we’re seeing are new and I’m so proud that the Commonwealth is at the top of the list,” Coleman said. “We’re the spearhead, so to speak, to get ahead of the threat.”

Other measures to combat child exploitation include the appointment of a deputy commissioner for combating child exploitation in 2023 and the appointment of a K9 officer to detect electronic storage devices such as SD cards and flash drives.

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Originally published by WEKU.

Republished with permission.

https://www.weku.org/the-commonwealth/2024-08-12/ag-coleman-kentucky-lawmakers-discuss-strengthening-of-anti-child-exploitation-laws