Dustin Newsome of Debord pleads guilty to charges now facing 50 years in prison

By Roberta Cantrell

BSN Editor

A Debord man finds himself facing up to a total of 50 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual coercion with boys ranging from 12 to 16 years of age.

Dustin Newsome, 35, pled guilty Monday, Sept. 9, to one count of coercing minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for child porn and one count of possessing child porn.

The case was brought to the attention of law enforcement and investigators in August, when a parent reported finding THC (Cannabis) vape cartridges in her son’s room. When the son was questioned, he admitted to receiving the cartridges, alcohol, a cellphone and other items of value from a mail carrier, later identified as Newsome, in exchange for sending him explicit pictures and videos.

As the investigation progressed, police learned that a total of nine boys ranging in age from 12 to 16 were providing Newsome with pictures and videos in exchange for THC vapes, alcohol, money and video game currency.

When police raided Newsome’s home, they found recordings of at least four of the boys, as well as hundreds of child porn pictures and videos.

Newsome now faces up to 30 years for the coercion charge and up to 20 years for the child porn charge when he is sentenced in January which means his time will be served in 2074 when he is 86 years of age.

However, guidelines could allow him a shorter sentence or good behavior could give him early parole but nearly all federal prison sentences ordered by federal judges require 85 percent of prison time to be served. He may also be ordered to pay up to $67,000 in fines, as well as restitution of at least $3,000 to each of the nine victims starting at a minimum of $27,000.

Newsome was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals Monday, Sept. 9 and is being held in the Clark County Detention Center in Winchester, where he awaits sentencing on Jan. 6, 2025 in Pikeville, for the final prison term he will be ordered to serve.