Feds snare retired Claiborne principal in child-sex sting
14 months ago | 1602 views | 1 
| 6 
| 
| 
| 6 | |
Joseph Wayne Jennings, 53, of New Tazewell was arraigned Thursday by U.S. Magistrate Dennis Inman on a four-count criminal complaint, charging him with various sexual crimes including attempted enticement of a minor for sexual purposes and child pornography charges.
According to a complaint drafted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen Smith, Jennings retired in 2007 from the Claiborne County schools district where he worked as a principal at the Clairfield Elementary School.
Smith said Jennings also worked as an instructor for at-risk children through a non-profit program and has been working part-time as a sales clerk for Toys R Us in Knoxville.
According to the complaint, Jennings had been engaging in sexually explicit conversations on the Internet with an Ohio woman in May. She became alarmed when Jennings began telling her about alleged sexual encounters with young girls.
"He was a teacher and principal and had a lot access to underage girls and apparently still does," the woman wrote in a complaint she filed with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
That agency, in turn, determined that the screen name being used by the man with whom the Ohio woman was chatting belonged to Jennings, the complaint alleged.
Knoxville Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Detective Tom Evans was contacted. He eventually took on a personna of a divorced mother with an 8-year-old daughter.
The complaint alleges that when Evans, posing undercover, began chatting online with Jennings, Jennings immediately made inquiry about having sex with the 8-year-old phantom girl.
Jennings was arrested Wednesday after he showed up at the Holiday Inn in Morristown. The complaint alleges he brought a video camera and a digital camera to record the encounter he allegedly expected.
Inman ordered him held without bond pending a Tuesday detention hearing.
Story by Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel, used with permission.
post a comment
comments (1)
« meohmy wrote on Wednesday, Jun 17 at 11:31 AM »
It's good that the feds caught this guy, Maybe he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Express yourself:
We're glad to give you a forum to air your point of view on issues important to this community. We just ask that you keep things civil. Leave out the personal attacks. Do not use offensive language, ethnic or racial slurs, or assail anyone's personal or religious beliefs. For anyone who can't be civil, we reserve the right to remove your material. We also reserve the right to ban users who violate our visitor's agreement.
Weather
Sponsored By:
Lottery
Sponsored By:
Stocks
Sponsored By:
featured businesses
6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway, Harrogate, TN 37752 phone: (800) 325-0900
Nestled in the pristine Appalachian Mountain range, LMU's main campus in Harrogate, TN, is both scenic and historic. About 55 miles north of Knoxville, TN we're perfectly poised to offer a liberal ...
1501 US Highway 25 E, Middlesboro, KY 40965 phone: 606-248-3350
At Cumberland Ford in Middlesboro, KY, we offer New and Used Cars, Trucks and SUV's for sale! Our Service Center is second to none!
Cumberland Ford Motors Inc, a Ford Lincoln Mercury dealer in M...
116 South 19th Street, Middlesboro, Ky 40965 phone: 606-248-3490
Offering furniture in Middlesboro, KY since 1936. Cardwell Home Furnishings has proudly offered quality home furnishings and accessories to the Tri-State area. With the largest furniture store in ...
Gasoline Prices
Sponsored By:
Recipes
Sponsored By:
