Louisville man sentenced to 15 years in prison for child exploitation crimes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville man will spend 15 years in federal prison for trying to convince a young teenager to have sex with him, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Joseph Zakhari, 34, was sentenced this week after being convicted of child exploitation crimes last year. He was convicted of attempted online enticement of a minor, attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor and attempted production of child pornography.

"Online communication apps provide countless opportunities for predators to engage in child exploitation and stopping these attempts creates a safe online environment for our youngest Kentuckians," Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a news release.

According to the release, the charges stem from an undercover investigation. A detective posed as a 15-year-old girl, who Zakhari contacted and tried to have sex with.

Investigators said Zakhari sent sexually explicit images and talked about sex with the agent. He sent an Uber to pick up who he believed to be a child to come to his condominium.

After serving his sentence, Zakhari will spend 10 years on a supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.