LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Lexington man and former high school teacher with Fayette County Public Schools will spend up to 30 years in prison.
The sentencing comes after Kevin Lentz pleaded guilty in November to the production and possession of child pornography. In federal court on Thursday, Lentz was sentenced to 360 months in prison for producing child porn and 240 months for possessing it. Judge Karen Caldwell ordered the sentences to run concurrently (at the same time).
The former FCPS teacher admitted in his plea agreement in federal court that he began a conversation with a 9-year-old online in March 2023. Within minutes, he sent the victim 85 images or videos that were sexually explicit. Lentz also persuaded the victim to create and send multiple sexually explicit videos and pictures of themselves, and Lentz acknowledged that he knew the victim was a minor.
Lentz was arrested back in August after authorities executed a search warrant at his Lexington home. Several electronic devices were seized in the search, including a computer, a cellphone, and multiple hard drives. Authorities said on those devices, they were able to locate hundreds of additional images and videos that Lentz obtained online of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Under federal law, Lentz 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. Lentz was also ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution and $22,000 in special assessments. He also will be prohibited from owning computers unless given permission. If given permission, that computer would be subject to search by probation and parole.
Lentz said he hopes to benefit from therapy programs in prison, and he was ordered to take part in sex offender treatment while incarcerated.
The judge's decision to run the sentences concurrently is a departure from what the federal prosecutor asked for, which was for them to run consecutively.
Lentz spoke in court, expressed remorse for the ongoing harm he's caused, and said that he feels his purpose in life is to help others with "a similar affliction" once he's been able to work on himself.
"I hope in the years ahead, where appropriate, I can make amends," Lentz said.
Lentz's attorney, Rawl Kazee, said he and his client understood the serious nature of the case and the harm that was caused and knew that the sentence handed down would be measured "in decades" but asked that the judge consider the good he did for the community and the good that he hopes to do on release.
Kazee mentioned that Lentz had tried to seek mental help before being charged but said that it is challenging to seek help for these types of mental issues because even therapists are obligated to report if a crime has been committed against children.
In federal court, the prosecutor said she found it puzzling that Lentz was seeking help for his issues because he consistently placed himself in jobs and volunteer situations surrounded by children, both as a teacher and someone who worked with his church's youth group.
Judge Caldwell said that while she chose the sentences to run concurrently, Lentz's best years will be behind him when he's released. She also said that she hopes the sentence will serve as a deterrence for others, particularly on the possession charge.
She said that people who view things on the dark corners of the internet often feel that there is no victim to what they're doing or that they will never be caught. The judge said this case shows that is not the case.
