A self-described political consultant in Ft. Thomas, Ky., will receive at least five years in prison after he pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography.
Kenneth Mullikin, Jr., 58, from Ft. Thomas was taken into custody immediately after he entered his guilty plea.
In the course of his plea, Mullikin admitted that from February 2007 through July 17, 2008 he used computer equipment in his residence to download, view, and store approximately 704 still images and 98 videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The downloaded images of child pornography included children under the age of 12 as well as depictions of sadistic conduct.
James A. Zerhusen, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky
and Timothy D. Cox, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly made the announcement Tuesday, after Mullikin entered his guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ft. Thomas Police Department. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensic Unit provided vital computer forensic services to the investigation. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony J. Bracke.
Mullikin is currently scheduled to appear for sentencing before United States District Court Judge Danny Reeves in Covington, Ky., on Oct. 13, 2009, at 10 a.m. Mullikin faces a prison sentence of between five and 20 years and a potential lifetime of supervised release. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes governing the imposition of sentences.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.
Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov
