NKyTribune staff
A Kenton County man has entered a plea of guilty to child pornography charges and faces up to 10 years in prison.
Montgomery
Larryn Montgomery, of Elsmere pleaded guilty on January 28, to Distribution of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor and Possession of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor.
It marks the second time in less than a week a defendant has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in Kenton Circuit Court.
On January 22, Mark James Donnelly, 68, pleaded guilty to child pornography charges after investigators found 509 photographs and 58 videos of children engaged in sexual performances at his residence. Donnelly also faces up to 10 years in prison.
Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders said cases such as this have become all too common.
“Sadly enough, we have one or more of these cases in court almost every week,” said Sanders. “There is no rhyme or reason to who the perpetrators are or what they look like. Old, young, rich, poor, and all different colors; there are predators hiding among us.”
Montgomery will be sentenced March 12.
The Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office released the following statement regarding the case.
On January 28, 2019, Larryn Montgomery, 21, of Elsmere, entered a guilty plea to Distribution of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor and Possession of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Emily J. Arnzen is recommending a 10 year prison sentence for Montgomery. Final sentencing is scheduled for March 12, 2019 before Kenton Circuit Judge Patricia Summe.
Sanders
Montgomery was arrested by Kenton County Police Detective Steve Benner on June 7, 2018 after police executed a search warrant on Montgomery’s residence with the assistance of NKY Regional SWAT.
Police seized electronic devices from Montgomery’s home on Maple Ave. Subsequent search of the evidence produced multiple photos of preteen girls engaged in sex acts with adult males. Kenton County Police began their investigation after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating a Facebook account belonging to Montgomery had transmitted four images of child pornography.
In an interview after his arrest, Montgomery confessed to Detective Benner that he downloaded child pornography onto his old phone, and, when he got a new phone, the only way he knew to move the images to the new phone was to send them via Facebook Messenger. The images Montgomery was saving to his new phone were flagged by Facebook and reported to NCMEC.
Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders said his office sees an alarming number of cases just like Montgomery’s. “Sadly enough, we have one or more of these cases in court almost every week,” said Sanders, adding “And there is no rhyme or reason to who the perpetrators are or what they look like. Old, young, rich, poor, and all different colors; there are predators hiding among us!”
Sanders applauded the work of Kenton County Police detectives noting “They’re the only agency in Kenton County, and one of only few in Kentucky, with an investigator dedicated exclusively to online crimes against children,” Sanders said.
