The call came in like any other: a 1-year-old was struggling to breathe. Then-volunteer firefighter John Preston rushed to help — but the child didn’t make it.
“He had ingested Goo-Gone,” Preston recalled. “He died on me.”
Though Preston didn’t know the full outcome of the case, he believed it stemmed from child neglect. He couldn’t shake the feeling that more could’ve been done.
“As a firefighter, you usually just have to move on,” he said. “But that one really bothered me.”
That tragedy in 2011 marked a turning point for Preston, ultimately leading him into law enforcement. Today, Preston serves as a sergeant with the Owensboro Police Department, where he leads the Juvenile Investigation Division — a role he says feels like his true calling.
On March 25, 2025, the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky honored Preston with a Legendary Partners Award, recognizing his unwavering commitment to child abuse victims. Nominated by the CAC of the Green River District, Preston was presented with the award in the Rotunda of the Kentucky State Capitol by Attorney General Russell Coleman.
“It’s nice to be recognized for the hard work that I have put in, but I was kind of shocked,” Preston said. “I didn’t think I was doing anything more than any other officer or detective. But standing there in Frankfort and actually being handed the award, that’s when it really clicked — this is a big deal.”
Back in 2011, Preston was serving as a firefighter near Lexington in Jessamine County, where he eventually began his law enforcement career. He joined OPD in 2019, and after two years working juvenile crimes as a detective, he was recently promoted to sergeant. Preston now oversees a team of three detectives focused on child abuse cases.
Together, the division is handling about 50 active investigations — most of them involving physical or sexual abuse. Preston also maintains his own caseload of about 10 cases.
“It’s not always consistent,” he said. “Sometimes we get a wave of new cases at once, and other times we’re working long-term investigations that can stretch on for years.”
Each case, he said, comes with its own weight.
“Some are very traumatizing,” Preston said. “You can only imagine what the child is going through, but it affects us, too. You have to relive the trauma with them to understand what happened.”
When it comes to very young victims — toddlers who can’t always speak for themselves — Preston said it’s even more important to handle each case with care and compassion.
“Forensic interviews with toddlers can be tough to sit through,” he said. “But we have to stay professional and see it all the way through so that child knows, later in life, that someone listened. That someone believed them.”
Despite the challenges, Preston said he’s committed to staying in the juvenile unit for as long as he can.
Preston said awareness around child abuse has grown in recent years, in part due to efforts by agencies like the CAC and increased media coverage. But he said there’s still a long way to go — and many people remain hesitant to speak up when they suspect something is wrong.
“My biggest frustration is when people are afraid to get involved,” he said. “That child didn’t ask to be victimized. If you see something, say something. We can help, but only if people talk to us.”
Looking back, Preston never imagined his path would lead here. But now, with more than a decade in law enforcement, he knows this is exactly where he belongs.
“That one call as a firefighter — it changed everything,” he said. “Now, I get to be the voice for kids who can’t speak for themselves. And I’m not going anywhere.”
