A Franklin County man is behind bars on a $75,000 bond after investigators say a month-long probe uncovered sex crimes against a minor. Wayne Arthur Wright now faces two felony charges — solicitation of a minor and sexual battery by an authority figure — following the investigation by the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
Wright was booked into custody on those two counts, according to WKRN News 2, which first reported the arrest. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office has said it will not release further details about the case while the investigation remains ongoing and because it involves a minor, according to the same report. Wright is due in court on September 17.
What the Charges Actually Mean
The sexual battery by an authority figure charge is defined under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-527 as unlawful sexual contact with a minor between the ages of 13 and 17, committed by an adult who holds a supervisory, custodial, or professional position of trust over that minor, according to FindLaw. That charge is distinct from statutory rape under a separate state statute, which strictly requires sexual penetration, whereas sexual battery involves unlawful sexual contact for arousal or gratification and can occur directly or through clothing, per May McKinney Law.
The solicitation charge carries its own statutory framework. Under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-528, soliciting a minor to engage in a sex offense is classified one felony degree lower than the underlying crime being solicited, meaning solicitation tied to a Class C felony becomes a Class D felony, according to Justia Law. The statute targets adults who use verbal, written, or digital communications to entice a minor.
What Wright Could Face If Convicted
A Class C felony conviction in Tennessee carries a mandatory state prison sentence ranging from three to 15 years, along with fines of up to $10,000, under Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111, per FindLaw. The solicitation charge, classified as a Class D felony, is punishable by two to 12 years in prison, according to the same Justia Law summary. The exact sentence within either range would depend on Wright's prior criminal history, should he be convicted.
A conviction on either charge would also trigger mandatory, lifelong registration on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry under the state's Sexual Offender and Violent Sexual Offender Registration, Verification and Tracking Act of 2004, according to the UT County Technical Assistance Service. Registered offenders are required to regularly verify their address and personal information in person with local law enforcement. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation maintains the statewide registry, which tracks thousands of active registered offenders and was updated in 2021 to enhance email alerts and public tracking tools, according to WBIR.
Bond and What Comes Next
Wright's $75,000 bond was set under Tennessee's pretrial bail standards, which require judicial magistrates to weigh factors including community safety, flight risk, and the severity of the offense, per Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-11-118, according to Justia Law. He remains under judicial monitoring while released, pending his scheduled September 17 court appearance in Franklin County.
That hearing is expected to take place at the Franklin County Circuit Court and General Sessions Court building in Winchester, the county seat, where felony cases originating in Franklin County are handled. Initial appearances typically occur in General Sessions Court before any potential grand jury action. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office, headquartered in Winchester under Sheriff Tim Fuller, has not disclosed the specific nature of Wright's alleged authority role over the minor or additional details of the allegations, citing the ongoing investigation and the minor's identity.
The case comes weeks after the same sheriff's office investigated a separate minor-related incident at a local school this August, which resulted in juvenile charges against a 16-year-old. Open questions remain about the precise circumstances tying Wright to the minor in this case, and it is not yet clear whether additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.
