A pastor is facing two decades in prison after being found guilty of raping a child multiple times between 1982 and 1985.
Samuel McKinney, 60, of Irvine, was recently found guilty by an Estill County jury of first-degree rape (victim under the age of 12).
The victim said the abuse occurred about once a month from May 1982 to December 1985 and stopped when she was about 11-years-old, according to the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office.
The victim, now 50, reported the abuse in 2023 after learning her abuser was a pastor at an Irvine church, prosecutors said.
The jury recommended a sentence of 20 years in prison. McKinney must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. Formal sentencing is slated for June 3, 2025.
The Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit brought the case against McKinney.
“In our commonwealth, there is no statute of limitations for felony charges, which allowed this courageous woman to come forward and report her abuse after all these years,” Attorney General Russell Coleman said. “Her bravery was critical to putting this criminal behind bars, and we hope her example will encourage others in similar situations to come forward.”
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
