Science Hill man accused of sexually exploiting teens, juveniles

SCIENCE HILL, Ky. (FOX 56) — A Science Hill man was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch investigation into child sexual abuse material.

State police said in a news release that Ricky Bumgardner, 44, was arrested after an undercover investigation.

According to a news release, the investigation began when authorities allegedly found Bumgardner uploading sexually explicit images of juveniles to one of his accounts on social media.

Equipment used to upload the images was allegedly found at his residence in Science Hill on Tuesday. The equipment was seized and taken to the KSP forensic laboratory for examination.

Bumgardner was charged with three counts of promoting a minor under age 16 in a sexual performance, as well as 20 counts of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor under age 12. The former charge is a class B felony and could carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison, and the latter charge is a class C felony punishable by five to 10 years, KSP said.

He was lodged in the Pulaski County Correctional Center on Tuesday.

The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation remains ongoing.