Northern Kentucky Attorney Indicted, Charged with Numerous Sex Crimes including Rape, Human Trafficking

Screengrab from Robert Poole's YouTube channel. 

Attorney General Andy Beshear announced Friday that a 50-year-old Northern Kentucky attorney has been indicted by a Kenton County grand jury for numerous sex crimes including rape and human trafficking.

Robert L. Poole, of Burlington, was indicted Nov. 15 on 15 counts:

·         two counts of human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity, Class B felonies;

·         one count of unlawful transaction with a minor under 16 for illegal sexual activity, Class B felony;

·         two counts of unlawful transaction with a minor under 18 for illegal sexual activity, Class C felonies;

·         three counts of human trafficking of an adult for commercial sexual activity, Class C felonies;

·         five counts of complicity to human trafficking of an adult for commercial sexual activity, Class C felonies;

·         one count of third-degree Rape, a Class D felony, and

·         one count of bribing a witness, a Class D felony.

Prosecutors from Beshear’s Special Prosecutions Division are handling the case against Poole in Kenton Circuit Court.

Poole was arrested by the Erlanger Police Department Nov. 16 and is currently housed in the Kenton County Detention Center on a $100,000 cash bond.

The investigation into Poole, an Erlanger attorney, began after the Campbell County Police Department referred information to the Erlanger Police Department following the 20-year sentencing of former Campbell County District Judge Timothy Nolan.

Nolan, 71, was sentenced in May 2018. Prosecutors from Beshear’s Special Prosecutions Division accepted a guilty plea from Nolan Feb. 9 on 21 counts, including human trafficking of adults, promoting human trafficking of minors and unlawful transaction with minors, against 19 victims.

As part of his plea agreement, Nolan paid $110,000 in asset forfeiture and to the Human Trafficking Victims Fund – within the executive branch’s Justice and Public Safety Cabinet – which was established in 2013.

Poole is scheduled for arraignment at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 26 in Kenton Circuit Court.