LOUISVILLE, Ky.— On March 7, 2017, at approximately 12:09 p.m., the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch arrested Bradley J. Hardesty, 33, on charges related to distribution and possession of matter portraying a sex performance by a minor.
Hardesty was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after discovering the suspect sharing images of child sexual exploitation online.
The investigation resulted in the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Louisville on March 7, 2017. Equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for examination. The investigation is ongoing.
Hardesty is currently charged with six counts of distribution and 20 counts of possession of matter portraying a sex performance by a minor. Each charge is a Class-D felony punishable by one to five years in prison.
He was lodged in the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections.