Federal agents launched an investigation into a Northern Kentucky man after a tip alleged he possessed a video of himself sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl, whose mother took her to his home for "drug money," court records show.
Preston Strittholt, 25, is charged in federal court in Covington with possession of child sexual abuse material. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Candace Smith for an initial hearing on Oct. 21.
The FBI received an anonymous complaint in July 2025, alleging that Strittholt kept a video of himself and the young girl on his cellphone. A court filing states the complaint also reported that Strittholt admitted he "actually did it with kids" and recorded the alleged abuse.
worked at Kenwood toy store sentenced
The complaint added that Strittholt paid the 9-year-old's mother $500 to bring the girl to his Fort Mitchell home.
While Strittholt isn't charged with producing child sexual abuse material, federal authorities seized his cellphone after Strittholt's public intoxication arrest in September. An FBI agent said in the court filing that a search of the phone revealed three sexually explicit videos of prepubescent girls.
The videos were screen recordings of abuse videos streamed on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Authorities said they also obtained two cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children dating to June 2024, including reports from Snapchat that accounts tied to Strittholt uploaded abuse videos.
Spokespeople for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the FBI's Louisville field office didn't immediately respond to messages asking whether the investigation into Strittholt is ongoing.
Strittholt's attorney has not yet responded to a phone call and email from The Enquirer.
He's currently being held in custody by the U.S. Marshals Service and is expected to appear in court for a hearing on Nov. 3 to determine whether he'll remain in custody while awaiting trial. If convicted, Strittholt faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Tip that NKY man paid 'drug money' for access to girl starts FBI probe
