LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentucky Cares has partnered with the Lexington Humane Society to offer free pet food to residents affected by recent flooding.

The nonprofit said it is focused on providing family-friendly service opportunities to anyone who needs them across Central Kentucky.

Players with Kentucky Baseball Club volunteered to distribute food to pet owners in need on Monday.

One volunteer said the experience was meaningful.

“Just happy to help people who can’t afford food for their animals and glad to help animals that sometimes don’t get to eat every day,” Clayton Johnson said. “It just feels good.”

A representative with Kentucky Cares said the event reflected the value of community service for young people.

“We’re just really thankful to them,” said executive director Madison Carey said. “I think we all feel better when we serve and this is a really great example of how kids can have fun and help others at the same time.”

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A 53-year-old Louisiana man will serve 22 years in prison following a child sex crimes case that included possession of handmade childlike sex dolls — items that state lawmakers have since moved to ban.

Sabine Parish prosecutors say Yancy Elie Normand was sentenced after investigators received a tip that he forced someone to view child sexual abuse material. A search of his home allegedly uncovered more than 200 illegal files — including child sexual abuse material and bestiality — along with two handmade childlike sex dolls.

New state law bans child sex dolls

Louisiana lawmakers passed a law banning the possession, trafficking, and importation of child sex dolls statewide in 2024. State Sen. Beth Mizell said the push began after conversations with Homeland Security about human trafficking during the Super Bowl in New Orleans, at a time when the state had no specific law covering the dolls. The measure passed with near-unanimous support.

“I think the importance is that it’s a precursor to actual crimes against children,” Mizell said.

Mizell said the issue extends well beyond Louisiana’s borders.

“It’s a nationwide problem…when you look at just the volume of child abuse cases, to the point where our Attorney General now has multiple task forces in place all over the state,” Mizell said.

Task force expands statewide reach

The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office says protecting children remains the focus of its Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Supervisory Special Agent Chris Masters leads the group, which now includes more than 80 agencies and 250 detectives.

Masters said the dolls are often misunderstood by the public.

“When people hear sex doll, they think of the blow-up thing. These things are thousands of dollars, and they’re anatomically appropriate to a child,” Masters said. “They’re gonna look like a child. It’s not just what you think on TV.”

Masters said coordination across agencies is essential to the task force’s work.

“It’s completely impossible if law enforcement is not together on the same page with the same type of training, the same access, the same type of equipment,” Masters said. “We can tend to continue expanding our partnerships until there is no safe haven for any sex predator or child predator in this state.”

Lawmakers urge parents to monitor children’s online activity

Mizell said the volume of harmful material accessible online makes parental awareness critical.

“You have access to abhorrent material online in your hand all day, every day,” Mizell said. “Pay attention. Don’t be afraid to look at your child’s phone.”

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