Louisville City Wire

A Madisonville, Kentucky man has been sentenced to 29 years and 6 months in federal prison for the production and possession of child pornography. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville.

According to court documents, Steven Ray Buchanan, 46, received the sentence along with a lifetime term of supervised release on four counts of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Buchanan possessed over 1,200 images and four videos depicting child pornography. Additionally, he took lascivious videos and pictures of two young girls while they were in his bedroom. Upon his release, Buchanan will be required to register as a sex offender and pay $24,000 in restitution.

"There is no parole in the federal system," stated the officials.

The investigation was conducted by HSI Bowling Green with assistance from the Kentucky State Police, the Madisonville Police Department, and the FBI Owensboro Satellite Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project mobilizes federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children sexually while also identifying and rescuing victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood or internet safety education resources, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

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