Eastern Kentucky Man Sentenced To 15 Years For Child Exploitation Crimes

LOUISVILLE, KY. – Brian Keith Tackett, 37, of Banner, Kentucky, (Floyd County), pled guilty and was sentenced yesterday by Chief United States District Judge Greg N. Stivers for online enticement of a minor and attempted online enticement of a minor, announced Acting United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett.  Chief Judge Stivers sentenced Tackett today to 15 years in prison followed by a life term of Supervised Release. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to the Plea Agreement, in September 2015, law enforcement officials received information from a concerned family member after discovering that an 11-year-old female had been communicating with an adult male, later identified as Tackett, through social media.  In addition to “chatting” with one another, the communications between Tackett and the minor involved sexual content, Tackett’s request to meet in person for sex, and the exchange of partially nude images.  With the parent’s permission, law enforcement took the minor’s phone and adopted her identity.  Tackett subsequently communicated with an undercover officer in the same manner. 

Law enforcement officials obtained a state arrest warrant for Tackett and arrested him on September 25, 2015.  Tackett was transported to the Glasgow Police Department and, after being advised of his constitutional rights, answered questions posed to him by law enforcement.  Tackett admitted sending sexually explicit text messages to an individual he thought was a 13-year-old girl.  He stated he received nude photos from both juveniles and adults and further admitted sending pornographic images of adult males to adults and juveniles.  Tackett admitted knowing that what he had done was wrong and illegal.  He stated that he made contact with other people, including minors, using Twitter, KIK, and Facebook.

Tackett was previously convicted of similar conduct in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, having pled guilty in 2018.

Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless prosecuted the case.  The Glasgow Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Kentucky State Police.

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This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."