LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) – A judge has rejected the plea deal for Kenneth Betts, a former LMPD officer who pleaded guilty to charges involving sex abuse in the police department’s youth Explorer program.
Betts pleaded guilty to seven federal charges — three counts of enticement, one count of attempted enticement, one count of possession of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of transferring prohibited materials to an underage individual — in late 2018.
This rejection comes after a judge said earlier in May the plea deal was too lenient. Under the plea deal, Betts faced 10 to 15 years in prison, but the judge said the sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of 27 years.
According to court documents, Betts communicated with a minor he met through the LMPD Explorers Program on the internet between May 2010 and May 2014. Betts persuaded, induced and enticed the minor to engage in sexual activity and share explicit images.
Betts quit in 2014 over accusations from a girl in the program who said the officer sent her inappropriate text messages when she was 16. Betts asked the girl to meet for sexual activity and send explicit photos. He also allegedly had interaction with a different minor at the same time, requesting explicit photos and attempting to coerce the minor into sexual activity.
Another former LMPD officer, Brandon Wood, faces charges in Jefferson County Circuit Court pertaining to abuse in the program.
The scandal resulted in the termination of the Explorer Program on March 13, 2017.
Betts next federal court date is set for August 14.
He also faces state sodomy charges which are separate from this federal case.
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