In a statement released through social media, Caldwell County Sheriff Kevin Bean reported the conviction of Keith Douglas Church, a 63-year-old Hudson resident. Church stood trial in the Caldwell County Superior Court and was found guilty on multiple counts relating to the sexual exploitation and assault of a child. The verdict was handed down this past Tuesday.
Details disclosed by the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office on Facebook indicate that Church had faced multiple charges, including First- and Third-Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Child. Arrested earlier in February, Church found additional charges leveled against him the following month, involving Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child and First-Degree Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13.
The court sentenced Church to a term ranging from 200 to 300 months in the North Carolina Department of Correction. Once he has served his sentence, Church will have the designation of a registered sex offender. In the wake of the court's decision, Sheriff Kevin Bean communicated, “This conviction represents justice for the victim and a step toward healing. Crimes against children are among the most serious and heartbreaking cases we investigate. I am proud of the work our detectives and the District Attorney’s Office put into bringing this case to a successful outcome. The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office will always fight to protect our children from predators,” as reported by the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office.
The detectives part of the NC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force spearheaded the investigation leading to Church’s conviction. Highlighting the severity of the case, Sheriff Bean has given credit to the diligence of the detectives and the District Attorney's Office's efforts.
