KNOXVILLE, TN — A former Tennessee police detective has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after an undercover cyber-sting caught him soliciting a person he believed was a 15-year-old girl.
Charles Andrew Crothers, 39, of Oliver Springs, TN, was sentenced on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, to 151 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan. Following his release from federal custody, Crothers will be placed on lifetime supervised release, mandated to register as a sex offender, and subjected to specialized tracking conditions.
Active Police Detective Targeted Undercover Decoy
The investigation began when undercover internet investigators with the Blount County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office launched a proactive operation targeting known messaging and chat platforms. An undercover deputy, posing online as a 15-year-old minor, was contacted by Crothers.
Believing he was speaking directly to a teenager, Crothers transitioned the conversation to text messaging. Over the course of their digital interactions, Crothers steered the dialogue toward sexually explicit topics and repeatedly requested that the minor send him nude photographs.
The digital trail culminated on the final day of texting when Crothers transmitted an explicit photograph of his erect penis to the undercover line.
Facial Recognition and Identification
In addition to the explicit media, Crothers had previously sent photographs clearly depicting his face. Analysts with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office utilized these images, along with associated digital footprints, to verify his identity.
The tracking revealed a stunning breach of public trust: Crothers was actively employed as a sworn criminal detective with the Rockwood, TN Police Department at the time of the offenses.
Following his identification, federal assets were deployed. The case was formally assumed by the FBI, led by Special Agent Jordan Foreman, in coordination with Alabama authorities. Crothers subsequently entered a negotiated guilty plea to one count of attempted enticement of a child.
