Kentucky Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting a Minor Across State Lines and Engaging in Sex Acts

Montgomery, Alabama - Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson announced the sentencing of a Lexington, Kentucky man for unlawfully transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in sexual activity. On August 28, 2024, a federal judge ordered that 44-year-old Glendon Arnold Carpenter, Jr., serve 240 months in prison. The judge also ordered that Carpenter remain on supervised release for life following his prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.

According to court records, in 2023, Carpenter began communicating with a 14-year-old girl in Lee County, Alabama through an online messaging application. After establishing a relationship with the minor, Carpenter convinced her to leave home. In July of 2023, Carpenter traveled to Alabama to pick up the 14-year-old and take her back to Kentucky where the two engaged in sexual activity. The victim's parents reported her missing and law enforcement immediately began searching for her. Agents located Carpenter and the victim in Kentucky within two days. A federal grand jury indicted Carpenter for unlawfully transporting a minor across state lines in August of 2023. On February 12, 2024, Carpenter pleaded guilty to the charge.

The FBI Mobile Field Office and the Lee County Sheriff's Office investigated this case, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Richmond, Kentucky Police Department, and the FBI Louisville Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Tara S. Ratz prosecuted the case.