FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Attorney General Coleman announced on Friday that an Estill County jury delivered a guilty verdict in a sexual assault case involving a former pastor more than 40 years ago.
According to a release, the jury convicted 60-year-old Samuel McKinney on the charge of first-degree rape against a child under 12 years of age.
The release states that "the victim alleged the abuse occurred about once a month from May 1982 to December 1985 and stopped when she was about 11 years old."
The woman, who is now 50 years old, according to the release, reported the abuse in 2023 after she learned that he was a pastor at a church in Irvine.
According to the release, the jury recommended a 20-year sentence, and "under Kentucky law, McKinney will be required to serve 85% of the sentence before he is eligible for parole."
McKinney's sentencing is set for June 3, 2025, and he will be required to register as a sex offender, according to the release.
“In our Commonwealth, there is no statute of limitations for felony charges, which allowed this courageous woman to come forward and report her abuse after all these years,” said Attorney General Coleman. “Her bravery was critical to putting this criminal behind bars, and we hope her example will encourage others in similar situations to come forward.”
