Louisville man sentenced to 75 years in federal prison for child exploitation crimes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Louisville man faces 75 years in federal prison after being sentenced Tuesday on nine child exploitation convictions.

A federal jury convicted 35-year-old Quinnton Dawson back in March after a weeklong trial. He was found guilty of three counts of sexual exploitation of children, two counts of receipt of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of committing a felony against a child while required to register as a sex offender.

Federal prosecutors said Dawson used his Yahoo email account in July 2022 to send and receive child sexual abuse material while he was on shock probation due to a previous conviction related to child pornography.

Dawson later recorded himself engaging in sexual acts with a 4-year-old girl, prosecutors said.

"Nothing can restore the innocence Dawson stole from these young child victims with his depraved conduct," U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner said. "These victims will never have to worry about being harmed by Dawson again because he will now serve out his remaining days behind bars at a federal prison."

There is no parole in the federal prison system.