A Maryville man will spend the next decade in federal prison after authorities say he tried to lure children online. Ryan Patrick Garrett, 41, was sentenced to 120 months in federal custody, followed by 30 years of supervised release and mandatory sex-offender registration. U.S. District Judge Katherine A. Crytzer handed down the sentence in Knoxville.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Garrett pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement to one count of attempted enticement under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman prosecuted the case. After he leaves prison, Garrett will have to follow special sex-offender conditions and register with state sex-offender registries.
As reported by WATE 6 On Your Side, the sentence followed a Tennessee Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigation that uncovered online communications in which Garrett allegedly arranged to meet and engage in sexual activity with a nine-year-old and a 12-year-old. Knoxville Police Department detectives and Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested Garrett on March 13, 2025, when he showed up at the agreed meeting spot.
Investigation and prosecution
The U.S. Attorney's Office said the Tennessee ICAC Task Force led the investigation, working with Homeland Security Investigations and Knoxville Police detectives. HSI KPD ICAC Task Force Officer Tom Evans headed up the case. Prosecutors noted that the matter was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative that targets technology-facilitated crimes against children.
What the charge carries
The federal attempted enticement statute makes it a crime to use any means of interstate commerce, such as the internet or a phone, to persuade or attempt to persuade someone under 18 to engage in sexual activity. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. The statutory language is set out in 18 U.S.C. § 2422, available through the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School.
Prosecutors said the outcome underscores how seriously federal authorities treat online enticement cases and reflects an ongoing push to identify and disrupt offenders who use digital platforms to target minors. The U.S. Attorney's Office also directed the public to Project Safe Childhood contacts and internet safety resources aimed at helping families protect children online.
