Eastern Kentucky Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Crimes Against Children and Animals

April 18, 2025

Magoffin County, KY – A Salyersville man has been sentenced to a decade in prison after pleading guilty to multiple disturbing crimes involving children and animals, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Thursday.

Kent Simpkins, 43, received a 10-year prison sentence in a Magoffin County courtroom for seven felony charges, including child sexual exploitation and a sexual offense involving an animal. The sentence follows an investigation led by the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crimes Branch and prosecution by the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit.

Simpkins pleaded guilty to the following charges:

One count of Distribution of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor Under 12 (Class C Felony)

Three counts of Possession of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor Under 12 (Class C Felonies)

Two counts of Possession of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor Over 12 (Class D Felonies)

One count of a Sexual Crime Against an Animal (Class D Felony)

The case began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cyber tip, leading law enforcement to investigate Simpkins’ IP address and social media activity. The search uncovered multiple graphic images of children involved in sexual acts, several videos involving animals, and a video showing Simpkins engaging in a sexual act with the family’s dog.

In addition to the prison term, Simpkins will be a lifetime registrant on the Kentucky Sex Offender Registry and will undergo five years of post-incarceration supervision upon his release.

Attorney General Coleman praised the work of the investigative and legal teams involved in securing the conviction.

“This predator was already far down a dangerous path of criminal activity,” Coleman said. “We are grateful to the team of detectives and prosecutors whose dedicated efforts will ensure this man is kept far away from children.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Lindsey Studebaker.