A Knox County man has been ordered to serve 10 years in prison after prosecutors say he tried to pay for sex with a 14-year-old, a case that started with a citizen tip and ended in an undercover sting that kept any child from being hurt.
Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen said prosecutors in her Child Abuse Unit obtained convictions against Mark Allen Stenglein and noted that “no child was harmed thanks to the reporting by the concerned citizen and the fast work of all the law enforcement officers involved.” According to Charme Allen, Stenglein pleaded to trafficking and solicitation counts and will be subject to the state’s sex-offender rules.
How Investigators Say The Sting Unfolded
The Knoxville Police Department said detectives tracked down the suspect vehicle and used a series of text messages along with a recorded phone call to confirm an agreement for sex with a minor. Investigators then set up a meeting, and officers took Stenglein into custody near the bridge at Magnolia Avenue and Gay Street after he allegedly arranged to pay a witness.
Courtroom Paper Trail And The 10-Year Term
The Knox County Sheriff's Office inmate roster shows Stenglein was bound over earlier this year on trafficking and solicitation charges and had a plea deadline in late June. Prosecutors told the court that investigators posed as the witness and played a recorded call in which Stenglein allegedly agreed to pay for sex with a 14-year-old. The district attorney’s office says Judge Hector Sanchez ordered a 10-year prison term without the possibility of parole.
What Tennessee Law Requires
Tennessee requires people convicted of qualifying sex offenses to register with the state, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation notes that some offenders must remain on the registry for life while others may petition for termination after meeting statutory conditions. For background on who must register and how to request termination, the TBI offers public guidance on the sex-offender registry.
The district attorney credited the concerned citizen and investigators from KPD's Special Crimes Unit, Organized Crime Unit, Special Operations Squad and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and acknowledged prosecution support from staff including Leah Graves and victim-witness coordinator Kara Sowards.
Anyone with information about suspected child exploitation is urged to call the Knoxville Police Department non-emergency line at 865-215-4010 or contact local law enforcement. The Knoxville Police Department's release has more details.
