Former Gov. Matt Bevin’s controversial pardons are raising concerns with the U.S. Attorney's Office for Kentucky's Western District, which said Tuesday it could seek to bring federal charges — if warranted — against any pardon recipients.

U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman said Tuesday he is particularly concerned about the "risk to the public by those previously convicted of sex offenses, who by virtue of the state pardon, will not fall under any post-release supervision or be required to register as sex offenders."

Coleman’s announcement comes days after The Courier Journal learned of a possible FBI investigation into the more than 650 pardons and commutations Bevin issued in his waning days in office.

The Courier Journal reported last week, citing two sources with knowledge of the inquiry, that an FBI agent had spoken with a state representative about Bevin's pardons. An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment.

Coleman said in an emailed statement that his office would review any cases brought by commonwealth attorneys or law enforcement agencies "and examine through the lens of the statute of limitations, double jeopardy and evidentiary requirements to determine if it meets Department of Justice standards to then aggressively prosecute."

Earlier:The FBI is asking questions about former Gov. Matt Bevin's pardons

The rare act of bringing federal charges against those granted a state pardon would need approval “by the highest levels at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.,” Coleman said.

A spokesman for Coleman’s office could not confirm whether the office has received any cases for review.

Jeff Cooke, assistant commonwealth’s attorney for Jefferson County, said Tuesday it’s too soon to say whether his office would refer any pardoned cases to federal prosecutors.

Rick Boling, the commonwealth's attorney in Christian County, said Tuesday that the U.S. Attorney's Office reached out to him about the Dayton Jones case within a week of Bevin's clemency orders.

Jones, 25, received a 15-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in 2016 to sodomy of a 15-year-old boy in Hopkinsville who was passed-out drunk at the time.

The Kentucky Attorney General's Office prosecuted Jones. Boling said because he has not reviewed all the details he couldn't say whether he would send it to federal prosecutors for review.

However, Boling said there's uncertainty about whether Jones officially received a pardon or commutation.

Bevin's clemency order for Jones lists it both as a "pardon" and "commutation" at the top, but the text of the order says that Bevin was "commuting" Jones' sentence to time served.

Forgiveness, redemption, justice:Why Bevin pardoned more than 250 criminals

Boling said he believes Bevin's order only authorizes a commutation. He said would need a clarification before deciding whether to send the case to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Bevin, a Republican, issued more than 650 pardons and commutations between his Election Day loss to Democratic rival Andy Beshear and his final day in office.

His flurry of executive orders was applauded by some for showing compassion and righting injustices. But several pardons and commutations have ignited sharp criticism, as well as calls for a federal investigation and a proposed constitutional amendment to limit future governors' ability to issue end-of-term pardons.

Bevin's most controversial pardons include clemency for Patrick Baker, convicted of murder, whose family raised more than $20,000 for Bevin at a political fundraiser last year; Christian Moffett, the son of a state representative who had donated to Bevin’s campaign; and Micah Schoettle, convicted of raping a young girl.

Beshear, who during his time as attorney general created a "Survivors Council," took a shot at Bevin for his comments about the young girl who Schoettle, 41, of Kenton County, was convicted of raping. In 2018, a judge sentenced Schoettle to 23 years in prison and Bevin pardoned him earlier this month.

"You will never see me talk about a child in the way this governor just recently did," Beshear told reporters Monday.

Background:Bevin defends pardon of convicted child rapist in radio interview

In a radio interview on Dec. 19, Bevin said there "was zero evidence" in Schoettle's case.

"Both their hymens were intact," Bevin said, revealing publicly for the first time there was a second potential victim. "This is perhaps more specific than people would want, but trust me. If you have been repeatedly sexually violated as a small child by an adult, there are going to be repercussions of that physically and medically."

Bevin’s claim is flatly incorrect, Dr. George Nichols, who was Kentucky’s chief medical examiner for 20 years and later started the child abuse evaluation system at Kosair Children’s Hospital, told The Courier Journal.

Jonathan Bullington is an investigative reporter. Reach him at 502-582-4241; JBullington@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @jrbullington. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/jonathanb.