HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. — A Sumner County jury has convicted a Hendersonville woman of aggravated child neglect after prosecutors said she knowingly exposed children in her care to a man she knew had previously sexually abused a child.
Following a three-day trial that concluded on June 17, Assistant District Attorneys Nathan Nichols and Tara Wyllie secured convictions against 46-year-old Stacy Dawn Alessio on two counts of aggravated child neglect and two counts of child neglect.
According to prosecutors, the case stemmed from events dating back to 2006, when Stacy Alessio walked in on her then-husband, Christopher Howard Alessio, sexually abusing a child who was living in their White House, Tennessee, home.
Rather than intervening or reporting the abuse, prosecutors said Stacy Alessio forced the victim to leave the home. When the victim later disclosed the abuse to family members, Stacy Alessio failed to confirm the allegations.
Evidence presented at trial showed that while the couple was divorcing in 2013, Stacy Alessio sent the victim a Facebook message apologizing for not protecting her and acknowledging the allegations were true.
In another Facebook conversation in 2017, prosecutors said Stacy Alessio described what she witnessed and told the victim that her presence in the home was “like waiving meat in front of a hungry carnivore,” adding that she believed Christopher Alessio might be “dumb enough to take it.”
By 2022, although divorced, Stacy and Christopher Alessio were again living together in Hendersonville.
According to prosecutors, the couple regularly hosted neighborhood parties, sleepovers, and activities for pre-teen girls, including events connected to a local middle school dance team. Parents believed Stacy Alessio was supervising the children, but prosecutors said Christopher Alessio was often the primary caregiver during overnight stays.
During the summer of 2022, Christopher Alessio sexually assaulted two girls who were spending the night at the home, investigators said. His crimes came to light after one victim disclosed the abuse, leading to his arrest in October 2022.
Following his arrest, the victim from 2006 came forward and provided investigators with Stacy Alessio’s Facebook messages.
Hendersonville Police Detective Jason Steffy arrested Stacy Alessio in January 2023 after she was indicted by a Sumner County grand jury.
In 2025, Christopher Alessio was convicted of more than 25 felony counts involving the sexual abuse of six children, including the 2006 victim. He was sentenced to 162 years in prison without the possibility of parole or early release.
After returning guilty verdicts against Stacy Alessio, Criminal Court Judge Dee David Gay immediately revoked her bond and scheduled sentencing for Aug. 28, 2026.
She faces up to 24 years in prison. Under Tennessee law, sentences for aggravated child neglect must be served without probation, parole, or early release.
The Sumner County District Attorney’s Office credited the courage of the victims, along with the investigative work of the Hendersonville and White House police departments, Detectives Jason Steffy and Dan Hunter, Ashley’s Place, OurKids Clinic, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, and victim advocates who assisted throughout the prosecution.
Prosecutors said the case serves as a reminder of the importance of reporting known or suspected child abuse to prevent additional victims.
