Police Investigating Coroner After Allegations of Child Pornography

Kentucky – A search warrant unsealed late this afternoon reveals why Kentucky State Police searched Woodford County coroner James Steve Ward’s funeral home, office, and home in October.

According to the affidavits for search warrants for Steve Ward’s home, office, and the Blackburn & Ward Funeral home, it was the deputy coroner, Danny Owens, who notified police of a possible child pornography complaint.

Documents now unsealed reveal the deputy coroner met with Kentucky State Police detectives giving them a CD that contained two imaged.

The two images were of two female girls, who were nude and appeared to be approximately eight to eleven years old. Both had websites on the photos, appearing to have been downloaded. The deputy coroner told police he found them on a computer in the coroner’s office, which is networked to other computers in there and at the funeral home.

He also told police Steve Ward had a journal belonging to someone who passed away. In it the deceased person wrote about sexual relationships with children and animals. He says the coroner read him excerpts from it.

We tried to contact the coroner about the accusations, but we were unable to reach him. Police removed computer equipment and other electronics from his home, office, and funeral home in October as well as all Cd’s and DVDs they could find.

As for the deputy coroner, he declined an interview about this case.

Steve Ward has not been charged or arrested. The case is now being transferred to the Woodford Circuit Court.

Source: WKYT.com