HAZARD, KY — On July 23, 2020, the Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch arrested Johnny David Arnold, 38, on charges related to possessing or viewing matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor in the 1st degree.
Arnold 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 communicating and exchanging images with a juvenile female online.
The investigation resulted in an interview with Arnold at his residence in Hazard. The investigation is ongoing.
Arnold is currently charged with three counts of possessing or viewing matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor (Class D felony), one count of prohibited use of an electronic communication system to procure a minor (Class D felony) and one count of promoting a minor under sixteen in a sexual performance (Class B felony). Arnold was lodged in the Kentucky River Regional Jail.
The Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is comprised of more than twenty-six local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the United States Department of Justice and administrated by the Kentucky State Police, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing a response to cyber enticement and child sexual abuse material investigations. This support encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, prevention and community education. The ICAC program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the heightened online activity of predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.
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