Elliott County man sentenced to 100 years for child exploitation

ELLIOTT COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - An Elliott County man was sentenced to 100 years in federal prison for child exploitation.

51-year-old Ronald Stinespring pleaded guilty to several charges of sexually-related conduct involving a minor.

Officials said the investigation started when a young girl knocked on a door in Elliott County. They said she was dirty and malnourished.

She told police she and two other girls were repeatedly physically and sexually abused by Stinespring.

She added she did not leave Stinespring’s home for more than two years.

The girl also detailed some of the abuse, including being made to sit on rocks for an extended period, being tied up, having water poured over her and being shocked with a stun gun.

“The victims in this case suffered unspeakable mental, physical and sexual abuse,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Even in the context of child exploitation and abuse, the conduct was remarkable. Three young people were extensively and callously abused, over the course of years. While his conduct was truly appalling, fortunately, the sentence he must now serve is also noteworthy. It is our hope that it will assist the victims in their recovery from the abuse, provide them with some measure of justice, and prevent him from ever endangering other young victims again.”

When police went to Stinespring’s home, they found what they believed to be roadblocks of logs and downed trees in the road.

Officials searched the home and found a fetal doppler, pregnancy tests and birth control pills.

Police also found explicit pictures and videos of the victims.

While in prison, Stinespring wrote a letter to one victim. Officials said he tried to pressure her into taking responsibility for the crime. The letter was written in a secret code, but the code was later broken.

Stinespring pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2022.

“Crimes against children can be some of the most heinous crimes the FBI investigates. Innocent families are forever impacted by the perpetrators’ deplorable actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen for the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Today’s sentence is a reflection of how aggressively the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue justice knowing children’s lives are at stake.”