CHRISIAN COUNTY MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS FOR COMMITTING AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINORS

PADUCAH, KY –Roger D. Pannell, age 40, of Oak Grove, Kentucky, in Christian County, was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment in United States District Court, Paducah, Kentucky, for the aggravated sexual abuse of a minor and for the attempted aggravated sexual abuse of another minor , U.S. Attorney David L. Huber of the Western District of Kentucky announced today. Hon. Thomas B. Russell, Judge, United States District Court, also sentenced to 7 years supervised release following incarceration. There is no parole in the federal system.

On December 11, 2007, Pannell pled guilty to a count in a federal Indictment charging him with the aggravated sexual abuse of a 7 year old female child. At a hearing held today in Paducah, Pannell entered a plea of no contest to a second count of that Indictment charging him with the attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse on another minor female who was 6 years old at the time of the attack, all with an intent to arouse or gratify his sexual desire. Pannell was sentenced on both charges at today’s hearing.

The incident from which the charges arouse occurred at Ft. Campbell Kentucky in August 2007. While spending the night at the house of a friend on the Ft. Campbell, Kentucky military base, Pannell went upstairs where young girls were sleeping during a birthday slumber party. Pannell went to one of the girls, positioned himself over her and started to pull her pants down when she awoke and told him to stop. After that, he went to another girl, positioned himself over her, pulled her pants down, masterbated, put his penis between her legs making contact with her genital area, and ejaculated.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Sparks, and it was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ft. Campbell, Kentucky Criminal Investigation Division.

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