State legislators, along with Attorney General Russell Coleman, met in Covington Monday to discuss passed legislation meant to strengthen Kentucky’s child exploitation laws.
House Bill 207 passed earlier this year, banning the possession of child sex dolls and AI generated child sexual abuse material. Last month, the legislation was used to prosecute a man from Metcalfe County.
State Representative Stephanie Dietz, a Republican from Kenton County, introduced the legislation last 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 that's the first time that we saw that there had been a charge on possession of a child sex doll,” Dietz said
Coleman says it’s part of other initiatives the AG’s office has taken to prevent child exploitation.
He says it’s a way to keep Kentucky ahead of the curve.
“These tools we're seeing are new, and I'm so proud that this Commonwealth is at the top of the list,” Coleman said. “We are the tip of the spear, so to speak, in getting ahead of the threat.”
Other moves made to combat child exploitation include the 2023 appointment of a Deputy Commissioner for Counter Exploitation, and adopting a K9 officer to detect electronic storage like SD cards or flash drives.
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