Former Lenoir City Utilities Board foreman Scott Burnette will spend 12 years in state prison after pleading guilty in Loudon County Criminal Court to two counts of aggravated sexual battery involving an underage victim.
Burnette entered his guilty plea Tuesday and was sentenced to a 12-year term in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Prosecutors told the court the plea deal requires him to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation and sex-offender treatment while in custody. Once released, he will live under lifetime community supervision and must register as a sex offender.
According to WATE, Burnette pleaded guilty to the two aggravated sexual battery charges under the agreement and was ordered to serve the full 12-year sentence. The case was investigated by the Lenoir City Police Department and the Loudon County Sheriff's Office.
Case Timeline And Court Details
Burnette's case stretches back to an indictment in 2023. Local coverage and docket entries indicate prosecutors re-presented the case to a grand jury in December 2025, which led to a superseding indictment and a series of continuances before the plea was finally entered.
Archived reports and docket summaries from VanShaver trace the shifting court dates and late-2025 filings that kept the case on the Criminal Court calendar. Loudon County court records show the matter was handled in the Ninth Judicial District Criminal Court, with the Loudon County Circuit Court Clerk maintaining the official docket and related case information.
Legal Implications
Under Tennessee law, aggravated sexual battery is a Class B felony that carries the possibility of a lengthy prison term. The offense is defined in Tennessee Code 39-13-504, which lays out the elements that elevate a sexual battery charge to the aggravated level.
Convictions on these types of charges typically trigger mandatory sex-offender registration, treatment requirements, and post-release monitoring, in line with state guidance summarized by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Burnette's plea deal follows that pattern, blending a substantial prison term with long-term restrictions once he is back in the community.
Victim Impact And Next Steps
The victim delivered a statement in court before sentencing. District Attorney Russell Johnson told the court that the crimes involved an underage victim, as reported by WATE.
Burnette will now be transferred into the custody of the Tennessee Department of Correction to begin serving his sentence. Once he is processed into the system, his status and housing location will appear in the department's public Felony Offender Information system, accessible through TDOC's FOIL search.
Local prosecutors say the outcome is intended to balance treatment with community safety. Investigators have left the door open for any additional victims or witnesses who may come forward. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Lenoir City Police Department or the Loudon County Sheriff's Office.
