Raleigh County Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison for Attempting to Entice a Minor to Produce Child Pornography

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Raleigh County man was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a West Virginia minor to engage in sexual activity. Kenneth Owens, 58, of Surveyor, must also register as a sex offender.

A federal jury found Owens guilty of attempted enticement of a minor on April 7, 2022. Evidence at trial established that Owens attempted to entice a 15-year-old female relative to take and send him sexually explicit photos of herself from April 1, 2020 through Jan. 12, 2021. Owens provided the minor with cigarettes, vapes and alcohol in exchange for the images. Owens initially communicated with the minor female relative through Facebook, and then by cell phone.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Beckley Police Department.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Scott and Steve Loew prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-236.

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