A Knoxville man has been ordered to spend the next three decades in prison after a jury found him guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a child over the course of years, starting when the victim was just 4 years old.
Jarrett David Simoneaux, 48, was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years behind bars without the possibility of parole after a Knox County jury convicted him of three counts of aggravated sexual battery. The judge stacked the three convictions one after another, not at the same time, which is how the case ended with an effective 30-year term. Prosecutors said the abuse continued until the child turned 12 and noted that investigators reported Simoneaux admitted the abuse during their probe. The sentence capped a three-day trial that prosecutors later described as a difficult but thorough presentation of evidence.
Judge Orders Consecutive Terms
The court handed down Simoneaux’s 30-year sentence after agreeing with prosecutors that the three aggravated sexual battery convictions should run consecutively, rather than concurrently, which leaves him ineligible for parole, according to WATE. The sentencing hearing followed the jury’s guilty verdict and ended with the judge formally pronouncing the punishment.
With the judgment now entered, Simoneaux will be transferred from local custody to the Tennessee Department of Corrections, where he will begin serving the three-decade term.
Prosecutors’ Account And DA Comment
Jurors convicted Simoneaux on three counts of aggravated sexual battery after hearing testimony that the victim was first molested at age 4 and that the abuse continued until the victim turned 12, according to a press release from the Knox County District Attorney’s Office. Knoxville Police detectives Todd Hardin and Shaun Sakovich led the investigation, and the DA’s office reported that Simoneaux admitted the abuse during interviews.
District Attorney Charme Allen credited both the child and the investigators for the outcome, saying in the release that “the bravery of the victim and the professionalism of law enforcement led to the successful prosecution of this case.”
What Tennessee Law Allows
Under Tennessee law, aggravated sexual battery is classified as a Class B felony. For a Range I standard offender, courts generally apply a sentencing range of 8 to 12 years per count, with higher ranges available for enhanced classifications or repeat offenders, as case law explains. See Justia for background on sentencing ranges and how enhancement factors can affect a judge’s choice of term.
In Simoneaux’s case, the judge ordered his three counts to run consecutively. That stacking is what produced the 30-year effective sentence that prosecutors had pushed for.
Investigation And Next Steps
The abuse came to light after the victim disclosed what had happened to family members in 2021, which prompted the Knoxville Police Department and the Child Abuse Unit to open an investigation, according to local reporting. WVLT reported that Assistant District Attorneys Ashley McDermott and Heather Ens prosecuted the case and that victim-witness coordinators supported the victim during the trial.
Following sentencing, the DA’s office stated that support resources remain available for survivors and family members connected to the case.
Broader Context For Survivors
Recent legislative changes in Tennessee have focused on giving survivors of child sex crimes more time to seek justice. Lawmakers in 2025 extended the statute of limitations for many child sex offenses to 30 years after a survivor turns 18, a shift reflected in the state’s legislative record. Prosecutors and victim advocates say that a longer window allows more time for investigation and charging than in previous years, potentially shaping how future child abuse cases move through the system. For the bill history, see LegiScan.
