Former High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

LEXINGTON, KY—A former Paris, Ky. high school teacher pleaded guilty in federal court today to two counts of possession of child pornography.

Kenneth Shadoan, 31, admitted he possessed child pornography images in his vehicle and at his mother’s residence in Pulaski County between May of 2007, and May of 2009.

Authorities found approximately 225 child pornography photos and 30 videos on CD’s in Shadoan’s truck and in his bedroom at his mother’s residence.

According to court documents, in May of 2009, the mother of a 17-year-old high school student contacted Paris Police and stated that her son’s girlfriend discovered that her son sent nude photos of himself to Shadoan from his phone to receive a better math grade.

Shadoan officially pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing one or more maters which contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He also pleaded to a forfeiture count, which will force him to surrender his computer and any associated software involved in the criminal activity.

James A. Zerhusen, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Timothy D. Cox, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI, Jack Conway, Kentucky Attorney General, Paris Police Department and the Bourbon County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office jointly made the announcement today after the plea.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Paris Police Department.

Shadoan’s appearance for sentencing in U.S. District Court in Lexington, Ky. has been set for February 11, 2009. Shadoan faces up to 10 years in prison on each count. However, the court must consider the federal statute and the United States Sentencing Guidelines before imposing a sentence.