Kentucky State Police Charges Adair County Man With Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

On August 26, 2025, at approximately 11:40 a.m., the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Electronic Crime Branch arrested Austin Beard, 25, on charges related to child sexual abuse material.

Mr. Beard 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 a search warrant at a residence in Columbia, KY on August 26, 2025. Equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for examination. The investigation is ongoing.

Mr. Beard is currently charged with five counts of possession of matter portraying a minor in a sexual performance under eighteen years old (Class-D felonies, punishable by one to five years in prison), five counts of possession of matter portraying a minor in a sexual performance under twelve years old and one count of procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means (Class-C felonies, punishable by five to ten years in prison). Mr. Beard was lodged in the Adair County Detention Center.

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.

(Kentucky State Police)