A Sumner County jury on Thursday convicted former Portland restaurant manager Landon Justin Long, 42, on a slate of sexual-abuse-related charges after a three-day trial in Sumner County Criminal Court. Prosecutors said Long groomed and sexually exploited a 16-year-old who had applied for a job at his restaurant in October 2023, and the case surfaced only after the teen’s friends reported their concerns to school officials. Judge Dee David Gay revoked Long’s bond immediately after the verdict and scheduled sentencing for April 17.
Prosecutors say gifts, outings, and Snapchat were part of the grooming
During the trial, prosecutors told jurors that after the girl’s job application was rejected, Long kept pursuing her, taking her out to eat, showering her with gifts, sending sexually explicit images, and pressuring her for nude photos over Snapchat, according to FOX 17. Authorities said the teenager’s friends ultimately alerted school staff, triggering a law-enforcement investigation that led to the charges jurors heard over the three-day proceeding.
How Tennessee law frames the charges
Under Tennessee law, producing, promoting, or distributing sexual material involving minors is a crime, and especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor is classified as a Class B felony with significant prison exposure, according to Justia. State code also defines statutory rape by an authority figure, which covers sexual penetration by an adult in a position of trust with someone 13 to 17 years old, treating it as a serious felony under FindLaw. Related statutes separately criminalize sexual exploitation and electronic solicitation involving minors.
Jury’s verdict, revoked bond, and potential prison time
Jurors found Long guilty of two counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of sexual exploitation by electronic means, statutory rape by an authority figure, and aggravated statutory rape, according to FOX 17. Prosecutors told the court that Long’s prior felony record means he could face up to 56 years in prison, and the judge ordered him jailed on the spot after the verdict. The outlet also reported that Long will have to register as a sex offender under Tennessee law.
What comes next
Long remains in custody awaiting the April 17 sentencing hearing, where the judge will decide how much time he serves within the statutory ranges for each conviction. Tennessee’s sex-offender registration and monitoring rules require in-person check-ins and can limit where a registrant can live or work, as laid out in state provisions compiled at FindLaw. Court filings and official statements in the run-up to sentencing are expected to shed more light on how those laws will apply in Long’s case.
