Louisville Man Faces at Least 35 Years in Prison Following Conviction at Trial on 9 Federal Child Exploitation Charges

Louisville, KY - A Louisville man was found guilty by a federal jury of nine federal child exploitation charges last week.

U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul L. Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

Quinnton Dawson, 35, of Louisville, used an electronic storage device to record himself engaging in sexual acts with a four-year-old child after having been previously convicted in Jefferson Circuit Court of possessing and distributing child pornography. Dawson also used his email account to seek out and trade child sexual abuse materials.

Dawson committed these horrific crimes after being granted shock probation in Jefferson Circuit Court for his prior offenses of possessing and distributing child pornography pursuant to case number 20-CR-2017. Dawson has also been convicted of robbery in the second degree in Jefferson Circuit Court pursuant to case number 22-CR-2095.

On Thursday March 5, 2026, Dawson was found guilty of all nine counts he was charged with at the conclusion of a weeklong jury trial in Louisville, Kentucky. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2026.

United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, "It is hard to quantify the depravity it takes for a man to film himself engaging in sex acts with a four-year-old child. It truly demonstrates that evil is among us. My heart goes out to this innocent little girl and her family. I want to commend the prosecutors and law enforcement officers that diligently worked to ensure this monster was convicted and removed from Louisville for decades."

Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson stated, "A jury of his peers confirmed what the FBI and our investigative partners already know to be true. Quinnton Dawson is a multiple time sex offender who not only committed horrific offenses against a young, innocent girl, but then sought to profit off of her exploitation. This guilty verdict will ensure Dawson is where he belongs-behind bars with zero access to vulnerable children."

Chief Paul L. Humphrey stated, "Crimes involving the exploitation of children are among the most disturbing cases we investigate. We appreciate the hard work of the detectives who tirelessly built the case against this dangerous offender. This conviction shows what is possible when local and federal partners work together. We will continue pursuing child predators and doing everything we can to keep them behind bars for as long as possible."

Dawson faces a minimum sentence of 35 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 340 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

There is no parole in the federal system.