Former Lexington Firefighter Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography

LEXINGTON, KY—A former Lexington firefighter admitted in federal court today that he received child pornography videos.

Eric Bradley, 38, of Jessamine County, KY, pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and admitted that between December of 2007 and December of 2009 he downloaded child pornography.

The child pornography videos featured minors younger than 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct with adults.

According to testimony during an earlier hearing, an investigator with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office conducted an undercover investigation that identified a computer that contained files of child pornography located at a Lexington fire station.

In June of 2009 Bradley was contacted at the fire station. A brief review of Bradley’s lap top computer revealed information that indicated it was Bradley’s computer that the investigator had identified as having child pornography.

A forensic examination of the computer revealed approximately 200 photographs and approximately 50 videos of minors engaged in sexual explicit conduct. According to court documents and the earlier hearing, Bradley admitted during an interview that he downloaded images of child pornography to his laptop computer using Lime Wire while working at the fire station.

Kerry B. Harvey, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jack Conway, Kentucky Attorney General, Elizabeth A. Fries, Special Agent in Charge, Louisville Division, and the Fayette Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, jointly made the announcement today after Bradley entered his guilty plea.

The investigation was conducted by the Kentucky Attorney General and the FBI.

The sentencing is scheduled for November 18, 2010. Bradley faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20.

This case was brought as part of the Eastern District of Kentucky’s efforts pursuant to Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative dedicated to protecting children from online exploitation and abuse.