Tag: kentucky

Kentucky prison officers accused of forcing inmates to drink urine or be tased upon failed drug test

A lawsuit filed on behalf of seven inmates at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex claims they were forced to either drink their own urine or be tased after failing a drug test while in custody.

And Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lisa Lamb acknowledged in a statement that some employees have been fired and disciplined in other ways.

“This incident was thoroughly investigated and multiple disciplinary actions were taken including employee terminations,” she said. “As of now, the Department of Corrections has not been served with the lawsuit and cannot provide further comment.”

She would not discuss details of the disciplinary action or terminations, including the results of the investigation. 

WDRB News has requested the investigation and disciplinary action taken through the Kentucky open records law. 

In a June 6th memo to Randy White, deputy commissioner of the Department of Corrections, an investigator said the findings substantiated that staffers were tasing inmates who failed drug test. 

“This determination is based on the preponderance of evidence,” according to an investigative memo obtained by WDRB. “This evidence includes video footage, staff and inmate witness statements , electronic Taser evidence log … and inconsistencies in suspect interviews.” 

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court’s Eastern District in Ashland, claims four correctional officers told the inmates who failed drug tests “they would be able to ‘throw away’ their urine sample if they chose to be subjected to electrocution by taser or to drink their own urine.”

However, the suit also claims the seven inmates were “forced” to either be tased or drink their urine.

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Kentucky state senator claims pedophiles need ‘child sex dolls’, calls predators ‘minor attracted persons’

During a Thursday meeting of the Kentucky Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary to discuss a bill to make the possession or trafficking of child sex dolls a felony offense, one member of the committee spoke in support of the use of these objects by pedophiles.

“I was completely unfamiliar with child sex dolls, so I had, of course, to Google it last night,” State Senator Karen Berg said. “I was scared to put it in my search engine, but I did, and apparently, there is research on the subject, not much.”

“But there are what they call MAPs, minor-attracted persons. And the limited amount of research that’s been done on these dolls, guys, suggests that they actually, for people who are attracted to minors, that these dolls actually decrease their proclivity to go out and attack children.”

“That it actually gives them a release that makes them less likely to go outside of their home. And what was interesting is the research did not support the same conclusions who were adult attracted using dolls, that did not diminish their proclivity to engage other people.”

The comments came as the committee considered House Bill 207. The bill passed the House in February in a 93-0 vote, and the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill. It now heads to the Senate for a vote.

The bill makes it a felony to own or sell child sex dolls, defined in the bill as “an anatomically correct or anatomically precise doll, mannequin, or robot that may consist of an entire body, pelvis, or any other body part, with features of, or with features that resemble, those of a minor intended for use in sexual acts.”

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Kentucky prison system in chaos after more than THIRTY workers are caught having sex with inmates behind bars, anally raping others and smuggling them drugs including meth for cash

More than 30 workers with the Kentucky Department of Corrections were caught having sex with inmates behind bars during a 16-month period, while others were found smuggling drugs and guns.

A shocking investigation by Herald-Leader revealed 59 cases of employee-on-inmate sexual offenses in the past five years, with 35 cases involving possible criminal charges.

Most recently, 42-year-old Amanda Kulka was charged with third-degree sodomy earlier this month for allegedly having a sexual relationship with an inmate half her age. 

The inmate, who has not been identified, was serving a lengthy sentence for burglary, assault and theft, according to the outlet.  

Meanwhile, at least 14 others were caught smuggling drugs like suboxone and meth into prisons in exchange for money. One officer faced charges for carrying a handgun.

A total of 62 employees were either fired or resigned across 13 state prisons and a minimum-security prison camp, which together house more than 11,300 inmates.  

Experts say that troubles in Kentucky state prisons extend beyond inappropriate relationships or smuggling, and the same holds true for correctional facilities across the country.  

‘Being a correctional officer is a very challenging job,’ said Judah Schept, an associate professor in the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. 

‘In the popular imagination, we think of these jobs as being exposed to extreme forms of violence, and of course, that can happen,’ he said. 

‘But more often, I think what you’re dealing with are mundane daily tasks and being unappreciated and underpaid and feeling isolated and overworked. Given where you’re working, this can lead to some problems,’ Schept said.

DailyMail.com was able to identify and picture at least eight corrections officers who were charged with rape, sodomy, or sexual assault in recent years. 

In a federal lawsuit filed last year, Todd Steven Boyce, 56, was accused of sexually abusing an inmate in multiple ways between March and July 2022. Allegedly, prison officials were aware of his behaviors but made no effort to stop him. 

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Prosecutor defends no prison time for trans daycare molester

The prosecutor who signed off on the plea deal in the case of a transgender daycare worker who sexually abused an infant says he believes the “sentence that the defendant served was appropriate for what could be proven in court.” 

“The defendant pled guilty to sexual misconduct and received a sentence of twelve months,” McCracken County Commonwealth’s attorney Dan Boaz told The Spectator in an exclusive statement. “The defendant served over 300 days in jail, primarily in solitary confinement, prior to entering the guilty plea. As the case developed, there were contradictions as sometimes happens and a plea bargain was entered. As stated, the defendant served over 300 days in jail.

“Ultimately, any plea bargain that is reached is my responsibility and I believe the sentence that the defendant served was appropriate for what could be proven in court.” 

Reduxx first reported on the case involving Maria Childers, a female-identifying male who works at a daycare in Paducah, Kentucky. Childers was accused of molesting a baby while changing her diaper. Childers was arrested in February 2023 based on an anonymous tip to the police claiming that Childers had touched the little girl’s clitoris inappropriately and police interviews with employees at the daycare corroborating the report. A female coworker told police that Childers rubbed the baby’s private area in a “circular motion,” and said, “She likes it. It just made her day.” 

Childers was charged with one count of first-degree sexual abuse of a victim under twelve and three counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child under twelve. Childers was originally held in solitary confinement at McCracken County Jail on a $100,000 bond, which was reduced to $5,000 after his lawyer, transgender activist Madison Leach, complained that Childers couldn’t access his estrogen treatments. Childers was released in January 2024 and quickly struck a plea deal with prosecutors.

The deal saw the felony charges dropped down to a single misdemeanor count of class A sexual misconduct. Judge Joe Roark sentenced Childers to a twelve-month penalty, but with a conditional discharge for six months. If Childers abides by conditions set by the court, he will serve no time in prison.

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Kentucky GOP bill paves the way for ‘deadly physical force’ against the homeless

Republicans in Kentucky are cooking up new legislation that would pave the way for property owners to deploy “deadly physical force” against homeless people.

Vice reports that the bill, known as the “Safer Kentucky Act,” says that physical force against homeless people is “justifiable” if a property owner believes that criminal trespass, robbery or unlawful camping are occurring on their property.

Additionally, “deadly physical force” can be justified if the property owner believes a homeless person is trying to “dispossess” them of their property.

Lyndon Pryor, the CEO of the Louisville Urban League, tells Vice that the legislation will likely have deadly consequences for the homeless in his state.

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Kentucky Republican Pushes Bill to Make Sex With First Cousin Not Incest

A Kentucky Republican introduced legislation that would amend the state’s law so a person who had sex with their first cousin would no longer be criminally liable for incest, before withdrawing it and claiming an error was made during the drafting process.

House Bill 269, which state Representative Nick Wilson sponsored, was introduced on January 16 to the House Committee on Committees. According to the Kentucky General Assembly website, it would have struck “first cousin from the list of familial relationships” defined as unlawful incest in the state. In a statement sent to Newsweek, Wilson described this as a “mistake” in a wider bill intended to extend legal protection against incest, which he’d withdrawn and refiled leaving the “first cousin” reference in place.

Wilson, then a 27-year-old public defender, first shot to prominence when he won the 37th season of the CBS reality TV show Survivor in 2018, called Survivor: David vs. Goliath, before returning for the 40th season, featuring the winners from previous shows in 2020. In November 2022, Wilson ran unopposed for the 82nd District of the Kentucky House after Republican incumbent Regina Huff retired.

Kentucky law states that a person is guilty of incest if they engage in sexual relations with a person they know to be “his or her parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, great-grandparent, great-grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, brother, sister, first cousin, ancestor, or descendent.” The initial amendment introduced by Wilson, if passed, would have removed first cousin from this list.

Both the initial and updated version of Wilson’s bill would also amend Kentucky law on parole for violent offenders to include a person “who has been convicted of incest by sexual contact” within the definition.

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Kentucky Governor Pushes Lawmakers To Approve More Medical Marijuana Qualifying Conditions While Unveiling First Program Rules

The governor of Kentucky is urging lawmakers to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana law by adding new qualifying conditions as the administration puts forward a series of initial proposed regulations to begin implementing the program.

At a briefing on Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced that two independent advisory groups he appointed have unanimously voted to recommend that the legislature add more than a dozen new conditions to qualify patients for medical cannabis under a law he signed last year.

“This is a crucial step. While the legislation referenced several qualifying conditions, it left others out,” he said, adding that the expanded list includes “very serious conditions that we believe—but more importantly that these medical groups and advisory groups all unanimously agree—should become a part of the program.”

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New Kentucky Bill Would Legalize Marijuana Use, Possession And Home Cultivation—But Not Sales

As Kentucky works to implement a recently passed medical cannabis policy, a lawmaker filed legislation this week that would end all penalties, including arrest, for simple possession and use of recreational marijuana by adults 21 and older. It would also allow adults to grow a small number of cannabis plants at home for personal use. Commercial sales, however, would remain prohibited.

The limited legalization measure, HB 72, was introduced Tuesday by Rep. Nima Kulkarni (D), who this time last year introduced a measure that would have let voters decide whether to legalize use, possession and home cultivation. The lawmaker previously introduced a similar noncommercial legalization proposal for the 2022 legislative session.

“For decades, the failed and irrational War on Drugs has ensured that we have arrested, prosecuted and jailed millions of Americans for low level nonviolent drug offenses,” Kulkarni said a year ago.

Under the new proposal, adults could possess up to an ounce of marijuana in plant form, five grams of cannabinoids derived from hemp or marijuana, products containing 1,000 milligrams or less of delta-8 and delta-9 THC or five or fewer cannabis plants.

Possession above the personal use limit would be considered a Class B misdemeanor, carrying up to 45 days of jail time plus monetary penalties.

In addition to ending penalties for noncommercial possession and cultivation, the newly filed legislation would also prevent marijuana use from being used as grounds to revoke probation, parole or conditional release.

Trafficking penalties, meanwhile—which state law says someone is guilty of “when he knowingly and unlawfully traffics in marijuana”—would apply to people with more than the personal use quantity and less than eight ounces of cannabis. That would be a Class A misdemeanor on the first offense and a Class D felony on second and subsequent offenses. Higher penalties would apply for greater amounts.

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40 human skulls, other bones used as decorations found in Kentucky man’s home, authorities say

Human remains — including dozens of skulls — were found inside a man’s house in Kentucky, according to authorities.

In an affidavit, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation noted approximately 40 skulls, as well as femurs, hip bones, and a Harvard Medical School bag, were discovered during a raid at 39-year-old James Nott’s home in Bullitt County Tuesday morning.

The skulls were decorated around the furniture. One skull had a head scarf around it. One skull was located on the mattress where Nott slept. A Harvard Medical School bag was found inside the Residence,” Special Agent Sara J. Cunning noted in the affidavit.

Cunning wrote that authorities also found a slew of weapons, such as an AK-47 rifle, a .38 special, Charter Arms, a revolver, ammunition, grenades, and plates for body armor.

The FBI, along with the Mt. Washington Police Department, executed a warrant in connection with a search for guns and trafficked human remains, which led to Nott’s arrest.

During the search, “an FBI agent asked Nott asked if anyone else was inside the residence,” the document noted. “Nott responded, ‘only my dead friends.'”

Nott, who is a convicted felon, as he was arrested on gun charges in 2011, was also linked to a nationwide trafficking ring in which several suspects were accused of purchasing and selling stolen human remains, some of which were tied back to the Harvard Medical School and a mortuary in Arkansas.

The FBI began looking into Nott after he had chatted with Jeremy Pauley, a man from Pennsylvania — who was also being investigated for his role in the trafficking ring.

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Police Let Their K-9 Maul on the Wrong Guy. They Arrested Him Anyway.

Last year, a police officer sicced his K-9 on Sean Davis as he slept in a wooded area in Covington, Kentucky, mauling his arm and causing severe injuries. Officers had mistaken Davis for a different individual who had allegedly violated a protection order and detained him even after he provided police with his ID. Last month, Davis filed a lawsuit against the officer responsible for Davis’ mauling, claiming that he was subject to unreasonable force, negligence, and battery.

According to the Covington police incident report, on June 8, 2022, police received a call from a woman who said she believed that her violent ex-boyfriend, whom she had a protection order against, was sleeping in a wooded area near a campsite at which she was staying. When police arrived, they found Sean Davis—not the woman’s ex-boyfriend—sleeping in a hammock in the woods. Without warning, a police officer released a K-9 on Davis, which bit his arm and brought him to the ground. While the dog continued to maul Davis’ arm, police got on top of Davis.

According to WCPO, a local news station, body camera footage of the incident shows that officers handcuffed Davis and demanded he identify himself. In the footage, Davis repeatedly gives officers his name, social security number, as well as his photo ID, proving that he was not the person in the protection order. Nonetheless, police kept Davis handcuffed for 37 minutes. 

“Try to scoot your butt straight over so you don’t get blood all over the car,” one officer told Davis as he directed him to get inside the police vehicle. “Try to keep that arm off the seat.”

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