Mercer County Woman Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Pornography

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Anastasia C. Vandergriff, 37, pleaded guilty today, to a single count of producing child pornography.  A co-defendant, Rafael W. Poynter, pleaded guilty to the same offense last week.

In their plea agreements, Vandergriff and Poynter admitted to sexually abusing a minor and producing videos of the abuse using a cellular telephone.  The abuse was discovered on January 21, 2017, when deputies with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about the possible sexual assault of a juvenile.  Deputies obtained a search warrant to search Poynter and Vandergriff’s residence in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, where they located Poynter’s cell phone.  During the forensic examination of that cell phone, agents located multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse, which was perpetrated by Vandergriff and directed and filmed by Poynter.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James M. Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Field Office; and Sheriff Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by HSI and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.  The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Bradley.

Vandergriff is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2019.  Poynter is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2019.  Production of Child Pornography carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years.