London Couple Convicted on All Counts of Child Pornography Offenses
Male Defendant Owned an Auto Repair Business in Laurel County
| U.S. Attorney’s Office February 08, 2013 |
LONDON—A federal jury found a London, Kentucky couple guilty of photographing two children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The jury convicted 58-year-old Rickey L. Sherman and his wife, 33-year-old Corrine Sherman, late Wednesday afternoon of two counts of producing child pornography, conspiracy to produce child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography. The jury returned the verdict after approximately four hours of deliberation following three days of trial.
Evidence presented at trial showed that, in 2008, the Shermans produced approximately 40 images of two pre-pubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
At the time Ricky Sherman was arrested for the federal offenses, he was on probation for a previous state offense. The investigation started when state authorities received a tip that Rickey Sherman violated terms of his probation by having access to a computer. The evidence revealed that Rickey Sherman contacted his wife as the investigation was underway, and she subsequently attempted to conceal a camera from law enforcement. The camera was recovered and found to contain the produced child pornography images.
Ricky Sherman owned Truck Town Repair in Laurel County. He and his wife were indicted in September 2011.
Kerry B. Harvey, U.S Attorney for Eastern District Kentucky; Perrye Turner, Special Agent in Charge, FBI; and Stewart Walker, Chief of the London Police Department, jointly announced the convictions.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the London Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman.
The Shermans will appear for sentencing on June 4, 2013. They face a minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. The couple will have to serve a minimum of 85 percent of the prison sentences imposed. The court will impose a sentence after reviewing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.