MONROE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Monroe County Deputy has been arrested on several child porn charges. This comes one month after the Sheriff was arrested for interfering with an investigation.
On Saturday, April 1, 2023, Sergeant S. S. Keaton investigated Monroe County Deputy Evan Paul Blankenship for soliciting nude photographs from a minor. During his investigation, Sergeant Keaton seized evidence that the West Virginia State Police Digital Forensic Laboratory examined. Multiple photographs of underage females (14-17 Years Old) in a nude or partially nude manner were recovered from the evidence.
Sergeant Keaton continued his investigation and spoke with Special Prosecutor Brian Cochran regarding his findings. Special Prosecutor Brian Cochran instructed Sergeant Keaton to charge Deputy Blankenship with:
Using Minors in Filming Sexually Explicit Conduct (3 Counts), Distribution and Display of Obscene Matter to a Minor (4 Counts), Possession of Child Erotica (3 Counts), and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (2 Counts).
On October 25, 2023, Sergeant Keaton obtained warrants for Deputy Blankenship from Monroe County Magistrate Frank Basile.
On October 26, 2023, Deputy Blankenship was arrested on the before mentioned charges, arraigned, and released on a $30,000 bond. This investigation remains active and ongoing.
Last month, the Monroe County Sheriff was arrested for information discovered during this investigation revealed that the Monroe County Sheriff, Jeffrey Wayne Jones, interfered with this investigation by deceiving the Monroe County Civil Service Commission during the hiring of the Deputy under investigation.
