Laurel County Man Indicted on Child Exploitation Charge

LONDON, Ky. — A Laurel County man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a serious charge of attempted child exploitation, according to documents filed April 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Austin Hawk is accused of attempting to produce child sexual abuse material. The indictment alleges that on or about September 25, 2022 through October 25, 2022, Hawk “knowingly transport an individual who had not attained the age of 18, in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity.”

If convicted, Hawk faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years The charge also carries a possible $250,000 fine and a minimum of five years of supervised release upon completion of any sentence.

The charge stems from federal statutes designed to aggressively combat crimes involving the sexual exploitation of minors. The U.S. Department of Justice has made the prosecution of such offenses a national priority through its Project Safe Childhood initiative and related efforts.

Specific details surrounding the investigation or how authorities became aware of the alleged conduct have not yet been released. Hawk will be scheduled for an initial court appearance in the coming days at the federal courthouse in London.

As always, the indictment is a formal allegation, and Hawk is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.