LEXINGTON, Ky. (WMDJ) – A Pike County man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky, 35-year-old Charles Hopkins, of Virgie, was sentenced Tuesday to 80 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell.

Federal authorities say the investigation began in May 2025 after law enforcement received a tip that sexually explicit material involving a child had been uploaded to Hopkins’ internet-based Verizon cloud storage account.

Investigators later seized and searched Hopkins’ phone, where they reported finding additional child pornography.

The FBI conducted the investigation, and the case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative.

Under federal law, Hopkins must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence. He will also be under federal supervision for 15 years following his release.