Former Floyd County Educator Sentenced for Sexual Assault of Minors

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

FRANKFORT — Attorney General Russell Coleman announced last week that action by the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit resulted in the sentencing of April Bradford, 51, of Weeksbury, for crimes involving the sexual assault of minors while she was their coach and teacher.

Bradford was sentenced to three and a half years of prison and she will be a lifetime sex-offender registrant under the Kentucky Sex Offender Registry, which includes five years of supervision after she is released by the Department of Corrections.

A condition of the plea includes a 10-year Interpersonal Protective Order against Bradford for the benefit of the victims.

Coleman said in his release that offenders who exploit children inflict painful damage that lasts long beyond the time of their crimes.

Bradford pled guilty to eight counts of third-degree sodomy and 11 counts of first-degree sex abuse on Nov. 30, 2023.

Bradford was previously indicted by a Floyd County Grand Jury and during her plea, she admitted to sexually abusing two minors between 1997 and 2007, both of whom she held a position of authority over as their coach and teacher during the victim’s middle and high school years, the release said.

Bradford’s victims read a statement at the sentencing.

“April Bradford was a terrible influence on my life and caused more damage than good,” victim, Mary Prater said at the sentencing. “She deceived me, my family, our school and everyone in the community. I can stand today with my head held high knowing that God gave me and Jessicca the strength to grow up and make it stop.”

“Ever since I realized what my interactions with April truly were, I had a burning desire to come forward. I constantly worried about the generation of girls that were following me,” another victim, Jessica Hensley said at the sentencing. “This legal jouney has been mentally difficult, but I am grateful.”

“I’m grateful to Ms. Prater and Ms. Hensley who used their powerful stories to ensure justice was done,” Coleman said in the release. “These are women of incredible courage who can inspire others to prevent this abuse in the future.”

The Kentucky State Police investigated the case. The Attorney General’s Criminal Chief Rewa Zakharia prosecuted the case before the Floyd Circuit Court on behalf of the Commonwealth. Erica Paske with the Attorney General’s Office of Victim Advocacy provided assistance to Bradford’s victims.