A Payne County jury found former Logan County prosecutor Kevin Etherington guilty on two child pornography charges following a three-day trial held more than three years after his original arrest.
After deliberating for less than 90 minutes, the jury returned its verdict on Thursday, March 5.
Etherington was convicted of aggravated possession of child pornography and possession of child pornography. The aggravated charge applies when more than 100 child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) are discovered and carries a potential life sentence, while the second count carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Following the jury’s verdict, Etherington was booked into the Payne County Jail.
Jurors recommended a 15-year sentence for the aggravated possession count and five years for the possession count. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, May 8.
The case was tried in Payne County, though prosecutors from the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office handled the prosecution after being appointed by the state attorney general due to Etherington’s ties to the local legal system. The trial was presided over by District Judge John Canavan Jr.
In a statement, Steve Kunzweiler, district attorney for Tulsa County, said the possession of child sexual abuse material remains a serious problem.
“Even more disturbing is that Kevin Etherington, a former Payne County prosecutor who clearly knew better, engaged in this awful crime,” Kunzweiler said. “This jury had to look at and watch terrible examples involving the sexual exploitation of children. Mr. Etherington deserves to serve every day of the 20 years recommended as punishment.”
Etherington previously worked in the offices of Laura Austin Thomas, serving Logan and Payne counties after leaving the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office in 2013. His departure from Oklahoma County came after revelations of a sexual relationship with a coworker while he was married to another coworker.
The investigation into Etherington became public in November 2022 when he was arrested, a story first reported by Guthrie News Page.
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At the time of the arrest, Thomas issued a statement condemning the alleged crime and announcing Etherington’s dismissal from her office.
“It is with great personal outrage and devastation that I announce the arrest this evening of an attorney employee of my offices,” Thomas said in 2022. “My offices have zealously prosecuted this crime and I, personally, find the manufacture, distribution, and possession of child pornography to be both disgusting and incredibly damaging to individual victims and society,” she added.
Thomas also noted at the time that while Etherington was presumed innocent until proven guilty, her review of the investigation resulted in his termination from employment.
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