LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Joshua Preece, 40, of Morehead, was sentenced Monday to 300 months (25 years) in federal prison after pleading guilty to enticing a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.
Preece is a former Bath County Deputy Sheriff.
According to Preece’s plea agreement, on November 5, 2018, he admitted to answering a call about a minor victim who was acting out of control at her residence. After responding, he transported the victim to a remote area in Bath County. Preece sexually assaulted the victim there and later asked for sexually explicit photos of the victim via Snapchat. When reviewing Preece’s phone, law enforcement found multiple sexually explicit images.
The Bath County Grand Jury indicted Preece in July 2020. Preece admitted to the conduct and pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2021.
Under federal law, Preece must serve 85% of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and KSP.
