A Scottsville, Kentucky business owner is under investigation after detectives say he solicited a minor for sexual activity, with officials warning that more charges could follow as the case widens. Dwight Byrn has been charged with attempted unlawful transaction with a minor, and investigators believe he may have solicited multiple people, according to evidence detectives have reviewed.
The case is being handled by the Allen County-Scottsville Crime Task Force, a joint operation between the Scottsville Police Department and the Allen County Sheriff's Office that reestablished its partnership in August 2026, according to WBKO. Detectives said Byrn is under investigation for soliciting people for sexual activity, and the task force described him as under investigation for unlawful transaction with a minor, per officials, in addition to the attempted charge already filed. Officials say additional charges are likely as the investigation continues.
The BBB lists Dwight's Body Shop in the Auto Body Shop Equipment category and provides a Scottsville address, according to the Better Business Bureau. Scottsville is the county seat and only incorporated city in Allen County, a rural stretch with a total area of 352 square miles along the Tennessee border that recorded a population of just over 20,500 in the 2020 census, per the U.S. Census Bureau.
What the Charge Actually Means
Kentucky law includes an offense of unlawful transaction with a minor in the first degree, according to the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Byrn's charge is listed as attempted in the same statutory materials.
That distinction matters because Kentucky felony prosecutions carry no statute of limitations, meaning investigators can pursue allegations tied to conduct from any point in the past, according to FindLaw's summary of Kentucky Penal Code § 500.050. That legal reality gives the task force room to keep digging into whether Byrn had contact with additional people beyond the case that already led to charges.
Detectives Are Asking the Public for Help
Task force detectives are asking anyone who had similar contact with Byrn to reach out through the crime task force's Facebook page or directly to Detective Bobby Hardin, who can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 270-606-5220. Hardin is listed as a detective with the task force, which posted the contact information alongside its request for the public's help identifying possible additional victims.
The investigation follows the same task force's arrests of three people on August 18–19 in connection with reopened cold cases involving sexual abuse and financial crimes, according to a report from Podimo. It also follows the arrest in Scottsville of 33-year-old Tyler Trivette of Tennessee, whom Hoodline reported in July was charged with third-degree rape, electronic procurement of a minor, and unlawful transaction with a minor involving a 15-year-old juvenile.
An Investigation, Not a Conviction
Byrn has been charged with attempted unlawful transaction with a minor, and the allegation that he solicited multiple people remains an investigative belief attributed to detectives, not a confirmed finding. The Allen County Sheriff's Office shares law enforcement duties within Scottsville with the local police department, and together the two agencies now operate the task force pursuing the case. Officials have indicated that further charges against Byrn are considered likely as detectives continue reviewing evidence and following up on tips from the community.
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