United States of America v. Nathaniel Covington

Louisville, Kentucky, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with r online coercion and enticement of a minor, sexual exploitation of a child, and transportation of a minor for sex.

Nathaniel Covington, 25, used an online social media application to meet a fourteen-year-old girl. He arranged to have the girl taken from Tennessee to Louisville, Kentucky for a sexual encounter. Once in Kentucky, Covington used his cellular phone to record himself engaged in sexual acts with the minor. Several days after Covington took the victim from Tennessee, an amber alert was issued for the child and Covington was found in Clarksville, Indiana with her. Covington was previously convicted in 2019 in Ohio for Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a different fourteen-year-old.

“Covington is a dangerous child predator,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner. “A 2019 Ohio conviction for Unlawful Sexual Conduct did not deter disgusting deviant behavior. Because of the important contributions from the Louisville Metro Police Department and the FBI, Covington will not have the opportunity to prey on any more children for at least four decades. Covington’s 40 years and 6 months federal sentence should be a siren to likeminded deviants that if they engage in this reprehensible conduct dire consequences will soon follow.”

“The relentless pursuit of child sex predators is one of the FBI’s top priorities,” stated Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “While this sentence should send a clear message to offenders who prey upon our community’s innocent children, it does not mean we will let up. We will not stop until every criminal who seeks to exploit or abuse our children is found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

LMPD Chief Paul L. Humphrey stated, “Detectives with the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Office of Sexual and Physical Investigations (OSPI) focus on prosecuting the most heinous criminals, and this case shows their impact. Working with our partners in law enforcement ensured that a dangerous predator is now off the streets for decades. OSPI will continue pushing every case forward to protect victims and ensure those who commit these horrific crimes face full accountability.”

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jeffersonville Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Spencer McKiness and Danielle Yanelli prosecuted the case.

Imprisonment - 360 months (concurrent with Counts 2 and 3 and with Blount County Sessions Court, Maryville, Tennessee, Case Number 5GS1-2022-CR-47380 and Jefferson County Circuit Court, Louisville, Kentucky, Case Number 22-CR-2120); Supervised Release - Life; Total Restitution - $3,000; Total SPA - $300 ($100 per convicted count)