LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A federal judge in Lexington has sentenced
a Las Vegas man to more than 20 years in prison for sexually
exploiting a 12-year-old girl.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for Eastern Kentucky said Sean Marcus
Hix's crime was aided by the child's Boyle County father, who was
earlier sentenced to prison.

Hix was sentenced on Monday to 244 months by Senior U.S.
District Court Judge Joseph Hood.

Hix had been charged with conspiring to produce child
pornography and receipt of child pornography.

A news release by the U.S. Attorney's Office said when Hix's
home in Las Vegas was searched, agents found thousands of images of child pornography including nude photographs of the Kentucky child.

Authorities said Hix and the girl's father met online.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)