A Maynardville man is behind bars after efforts by the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) led to his arrest for attempting to solicit sex with a minor. According to WVLT, 56-year-old Mark Stenglein was charged following an investigation that began when an individual reported being approached by a man in a white Chevrolet Suburban offering money to find a child for sex. This alarming proposal prompted KPD officers to be notified around 3 p.m. Saturday on N. Broadway, prompting swift action from the department.
After tracking down the vehicle and assigning a phone number to Stenglein, KPD coordinated an effort to confirm the allegations. WVLT's report indicates that evidence was found in the suspect’s vehicle that supported his intentions upon his arrest near Magnolia Avenue and Gay Street. Stenglein, who had arranged via text to pay a witness for finding a juvenile to engage with sexually, was charged with trafficking for commercial sex act using a motor vehicle and two counts of solicitation of a minor.
The investigation gathered pace when a concerned citizen gave the suspect's contact information to the KPD, which later conducted an undercover operation to expose Stenglein's illicit activities. As per an article by WBIR, detectives worked with the individual to set up a controlled phone call during which Stenglein agreed to pay up to $200 for a sexual encounter with a specifically requested 14-year-old girl. During the conversation, he ominously suggested that he would provide the intermediary with "future missions" should this encounter meet his expectations.
Officers apprehended Stenglein at a predetermined location without incident. Authorities found $200 on him and incriminating items in his car, leading the KPD to file charges related to his attempted actions. Stenglein reportedly worked at a Rite of Passage facility in Andersonville. According to WATE, KPD’s Special Crimes Unit, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and other law enforcement divisions collaborated in his capture.
