FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky has been awarded $1.5 million to form a special sexual assault investigative team.

What You Need To Know

  • $1.5 million in federal grant money will be used to create the KSP Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Investigative Team

  • The team will help investigate and identify sex offenders

  • Gov. Andy Beshear also ceremonially signs a bill closing a loophole in Kentucky law

  • Mentally ill defendants will get the treatment they need and if they don't respond to treatment, unlike the past, they will not be released

Gov. Andy Beshear announced the grant money will be used for the Kentucky State Police (KSP) Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Investigative Team.

Three trained investigators and a criminal intelligence analyst are moving to KSP from the Office of the Attorney General to help investigate and identify sex offenders. 

“For four years as attorney general, I fought to seek justice for victims of violent sexual crimes. We funded upgrades to the KSP Crime Lab, established the Cold Case Unit and worked to make sure the SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Exam) kit backlog never happens again,” Gov. Beshear said. “This new funding allows us to continue this important work by ensuring investigators are able to analyze cases and ultimately help identify more offenders and link serial predators.”

“Kentucky has made outstanding progress in testing backlogged SAFE kits and closing unsolved crimes due to the tireless efforts of several state and local officials who were instrumental in changing the culture around the investigation and prosecution of sexual assaults. KSP is honored to join in the state’s response, and I promise that our investigators will be informed, effective and compassionate toward sexual assault victims and help them as they work to truly heal, recover and restore their lives stronger than ever before,” said KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr.

Beshear also took time to ceremonially signed House Bill 310 (HB 310) which closes a loophole in Kentucky law to protect victims of sexual assault. 

The gap in the previous law allowed some mentally ill defendants to avoid not only jail time but also mental health treatment. 

Sen. Morgan McGarvey (D-Jefferson County) who sponsored HB 310 said, “What this does is make sure that if you’re not competent to stand trial, you can get the treatment you need, or if you're not competent to stand trial and aren’t responding to treatment, then the courts can petition and ensure someone is not released into an unsafe environment. This has been a bipartisan effort over the last two years and aims to seal that crack so people who are a danger to themselves or others can get the treatment they need and aren’t let back out on the streets too soon.”

Kentucky has more than a dozen programs to help survivors of sexual assault. For more information please visit, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs or contact one of Kentucky State Police’s post locations.

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