BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
LEXINGTON — A Martin County man was sentenced Friday to 35 years in federal prison for coercing minor boys to engage in sexually explicit conduct for porn production and possession of porn.
Dustin Edward Newsome, 35, of Debord, was sentenced in Lexington by Judge Karen Caldwell of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Newsome pleaded guilty Sept. 9, 2024, after waiving a formal indictment.
According to court documents, the case came to light Aug. 28, 2023, when the parent of a child contacted law enforcement after finding THC vape cartridges in the child’s room. The child told investigators that he received the cartridges and a cell phone from a mail carrier—later identified as Newsome—in exchange for nude images and sexually explicit videos.
The child reported having engaged in various forms of sexual activity with Newsome and said that he was one of several minor males sending Newsome sexually explicit images and videos in exchange for money, video game currency, THC, vapes and alcohol.
A subsequent investigation uncovered nine minors ranging in age from 12 to 16 who reported that Newsome coerced them into engaging in sexual conduct and producing sexually explicit images and videos. Many of the victims were friends with other victims, which is how they were introduced to Newsome.
Law enforcement found that Newsome befriended the victims through online gaming and, in some cases, taking them to activities such as bowling, playing basketball, or going out to eat. Multiple victims reported that Newsome persistently begged and pestered them into sending illicit content so often that they agreed.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Newsome’s residence Aug. 29, 2023, seizing numerous electronic devices. These devices contained explicit photos, videos and live chats between Newsome and at least four of the minor boys, court records show. Police also found several hundred additional illicit images and videos of minors on Newsome’s devices that he downloaded from the internet and stored over several years beginning in 2013.
Newsome’s family and friends reported him missing in early September 2023 on social media. This was after the discovery of his abandoned vehicle on U.S. 52-Tolsia Highway in Wayne County, West Virginia, by the West Virginia State Police. While Newsome’s personal belongings, like his phone and wallet, were in the car, his passport was absent.
A few days later, KSP Post 9 obtained warrants for Newsome’s arrest and a manhunt began. Charges against Newsome by the state included five counts of failure to report victims of human trafficking, engaging in organized crime, possession of child pornography and other related charges.
At the time of his disappearance, Newsome worked as a rural mail carrier for a Lawrence County post office. Reports from Wayne County suggest that officials found a mailbag possibly linked to Newsome outside a church on Tolsia Highway.
Police apprehended Newsome on Oct. 13, 2023, at a Taco Bell in Norton, Virginia, after an off-duty federal marshal recognized him. The officer identified Newsome from information provided by the Kentucky State Police labeling Newsome as wanted. He requested backup from the Norton Police Department.
Norton Police Chief James Lane said that after confirming Newsome’s identity, officers had taken him into custody without incident. Newsome was then extradited to Kentucky.
The federal charges followed.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Newsome must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for release. Upon completing his prison term, he will remain under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years and must pay $105,000 in restitution.
The FBI and Kentucky State Police investigated the case. Prosecutors said it was part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth led the prosecution.