Kentucky Court of Appeals upholds Kenton County man’s child sex abuse material conviction

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX News) — The Kentucky Court of Appeals has upheld the legality of an investigation that led to the conviction of a Kenton County man for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), Attorney General Russell Coleman announced Monday.

Kevin Master, 33, agreed to a plea deal that would let him appeal if Kentucky State Police had probable cause to search his personal electronics, after troopers intercepted a package heading to his home from China.

Court documents show investigators applied for a search warrant in October 2019 after they say Master ordered a child sex doll. Due to concerns about other child exploitation and abuse, a judge approved the warrant.

During a search of Master’s home, investigators seized his electronic devices. KSP said they showed CSAM, leading to 20 felony counts of possession of child sexual exploitation material that Master was ultimately charged and convicted on.

In 2020, Master was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but the circuit court allowed him to appeal the issue involving the search warrant and the grounds on which it was obtained.

On Friday, the Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the conviction following a lengthy legal battle that wound its way through the state’s court system.

“This predator will remain behind bars as a direct result of the outstanding work of Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders and Kentucky law enforcement,” stated Attorney General Coleman in a press release Monday. “I’m proud the Attorney General’s Office could join their effort and uphold this conviction.”