On Wednesday night, August 10, The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Electronic Crime Branch located and arrested Michael Dewayne Rhodus, 37, of Danville, KY., on a large number of charges related to a child sexual abuse material investigation.
Michael Rhodus was interviewed and arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after discovering the suspect distributing sexually explicit images online.
The investigation resulted in the execution of a search warrant on Pope Road, located in Danville, on August 10, 2022. Equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for examination. The investigation case is still ongoing.
Michael Rhodus is currently charged with 10 counts of distribution of matter portraying a minor under the age of 12 in a sexual performance, and 10 counts of possessing matter portraying a minor under the age of 12 in a sexual performance. These charges are Class-C felonies punishable by 5-10 years in prison.
If found guilty and convicted on all charges, Michael Rhodus could face a prison term of from between 100 years to up to 200 years in state prison.
Michael Rhodus was lodged in the Boyle County Detention Center in Danville, where he is being held on a $50,000 full cash only-no contact bond on the distribution charges, while on the possession charges was given a blanket bond, related to under the same conditions as the distribution charges.
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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 administered 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.
