Justin Swope, the former Murray Police Department detective sergeant already facing 38 felony charges involving a minor, now faces four additional felonies in a separate case involving child sexual abuse material. The new charges stem from an Internet Crimes Against Children investigation that included a cyber tip concerning a social media account investigators identified as belonging to Swope.
Swope faces two counts of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor, Class C felonies, and two counts of distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor, Class B felonies.
He was served with the new charges Thursday after appearing in Calloway Circuit Court to testify in the trial of Robert Rhodes. Swope was the lead investigator in Rhodes’ case and charged him with eight counts of first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree indecent exposure and two counts of first-degree attempted unlawful transaction with a minor under 18 years of age.
According to the citation filed in the new case, the investigation began May 19 after Kentucky State Police Post 1 received a complaint involving Swope.
The following day, investigators learned that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber tip from an electronic service provider reporting an account that allegedly possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material, commonly referred to as CSAM.
The investigator reviewed two images reported by the service provider, determined they depicted child sexual abuse material and identified the account holder as Swope, according to the citation.
KSP executed a search warrant at Swope’s residence May 20 and seized multiple electronic devices from Swope and the residence. During a forensic examination of one of Swope’s devices, investigators found account information matching the account identified in the cyber tip, the citation states.
The citation does not identify whether the materials Swope allegedly possessed and distributed involved the same minor identified as the victim in Swope’s other cases. It lists Oct. 3, 2023, at approximately 1:33 a.m. as the date and time of the alleged offenses, while the other cases allege offenses that occurred between June 2018 and July 2021.
The four new counts bring the number of felony charges pending against Swope to 42.
A Calloway County grand jury indicted Swope in June on 30 felony counts involving the same minor and alleging conduct spanning from June 2018 through July 2021. Those charges include one count of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor under 16 involving an illegal sex act; one count of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor under 18 involving an illegal sex act; 11 counts of promoting a sexual performance by a minor under 18; four counts of third-degree sodomy; 11 counts of third-degree rape; and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse.
The following month, a Trigg County grand jury indicted Swope on eight additional felony counts involving the same minor: one count of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor under 16 involving an illegal sex act, three counts of third-degree sodomy, one count of third-degree rape and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse.
Swope was arrested May 20 after MPD asked KSP to investigate allegations involving one of its officers. He resigned from the department following his arrest.
Swope is scheduled to appear in Calloway District Court at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, for arraignment on the new charges.
Individuals charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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