Child Sex Trafficker Gets 15 Year Sentence

October 28, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

A Nashville man indicted four years ago with using a 15 year old Liberty girl for prostitution was sentenced Tuesday in DeKalb County Criminal Court.

38 year old Charles Earl Denton entered a plea to facilitation to trafficking for a commercial sex act and received a 15 year prison sentence as a range II offender. He must serve at least 35% of the term but he has been given jail credit for 1,516 days served from September 1, 2017 to October 26, 2021. He is to have no contact with the victim and his name will be listed on the state sex offender registry for the rest of his life.

Denton was charged in a DeKalb County Grand Jury sealed indictment on August 25, 2017 with trafficking for commercial sex act.

The investigation by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department began on Friday, August 4th, 2017 after the girl’s family reported her missing. The family said the teen sought and received permission to spend the night at a friend’s house two days before on Wednesday, August 2nd but she never came home. The investigation revealed that the girl knew Denton and that he had arranged through social media to meet her. Denton drove to Liberty on Wednesday, August 2, picked up the girl, and transported her to Nashville for the purpose of commercial sex. She was later found at a Nashville motel with another missing teen and an adult woman. Denton was not at the motel at the time.

“Through an investigation, it was found that Charles Denton was the one who planned to meet our missing juvenile on August 2nd. Denton drove to Liberty here in DeKalb County and picked the juvenile up and transported her to Nashville for the purpose of commercial sex,” said Sheriff Patrick Ray.

“Detectives obtained a state warrant for Charles Denton,” he said.

“On August 25th, 2017 a special called meeting of the DeKalb County Grand Jury convened and a sealed indictment was obtained for trafficking for a commercial sex act on Charles Denton”.

“Denton was picked up in Davidson County on August 31st. He was transported to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department ,” added Sheriff Ray.

Meanwhile, 43 year old Michael Lloyd Ballinger entered a plea to two counts of auto burglary to run concurrently and received a sentence of two years. The term is also to run concurrently with a case against him in Rutherford County. He was given jail credit from September 18, 2020 to October 26, 2021

Sheriff Ray said that on August 22, 2020 Ballinger broke into a 2015 Chevy Equinox at the Long Branch Recreation area on Lancaster Road damaging the front and rear passenger windows and pillar posts on the passenger side to gain entry causing over $2,000 in damage. Once inside he stole two bags of assorted clothing, a rose gold purse, An Iphone 11, and a 14 karat gold diamond engagement ring. The total value of the stolen items comes to $2,486.

In a separate case on the same day, Ballinger took a beach bag full of clothing and a cross body purse with miscellaneous credit cards with a total value of $1,050.

25 year old Katie Mooneyham McCoy entered a plea to sale of a schedule II drug over 0.5 granms and theft over $1,000. She received an eight year sentence in the drug case and one year for the theft to run concurrently but the term will be suspended upon payment of a $2,000 fine. She was given jail credit of 100 days from July 19, 2021 to October 26, 2021.

43 year old Jerry Goff entered a plea to driving under the influence and received a sentence of 11 months and 29 days all suspended to supervised probation. Goff was to serve 48 hours but that has been waived if he completes DUI center treatment. He was fined $365 and will lose his license for a year.

October 27, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

County and city leaders are asking the community to observe Halloween trick or treating on Saturday, October 30 rather than the traditional date of October 31 which falls on Sunday this year.

The joint announcement was made by DeKalb County Mayor Tim Stribling, Smithville Mayor Josh Miller, Dowelltown Mayor Pam Redmon, Liberty Mayor Jason Ray, and Alexandria Mayor Bennett Armstrong.

There is an exception. The 10th Smithville Boo Bash will be Friday, October 29 from 12 noon until 5 p.m.

The City plans to block off streets around the public square starting at 11:30 a.m. Friday morning.

“We will be conducting this event as safely as we possibly can again this year. We encourage businesses to set up outside if possible and parents to incorporate masks into your child’s costume,” said spokesperson Beth Adcock.

Any business that would like to set up a tent and participate, contact Beth Adcock at 615-597-8210 ext 1.

During the Smithville Halloween Boo Bash, the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber will be sponsoring the Best Costume Contest and Best Decorations for participating Smithville businesses and offices. To enter, take a picture with your cell phone and send it to 615-464-7760 by 1 PM on Friday, October 29th. Winners will be presented a “Boo Bash” Best Costume or Best Decoration award, local media and social media recognition, winner announcements on the November WJLE Chamber Chat Radio and DTC TV program, and most important – “bragging rights!”

Justin Potter Library will have a Facebook Live Halloween Storytime on Friday, October 29th at 10:00 am. So please join us for a morning of fun. The library will be participating in the Smithville Halloween Boo Bash on the same day from 12 pm until 5:00 pm so come by dressed in your favorite costume because you are in for a treat. For more information call the library at 615-597-4359 or visit us on Facebook or our website at dekalblibraries.net.

Meanwhile the DeKalb County Fair is hosting “Fright at the Fairgrounds” Saturday, October 30. Trick or treating will be from 5-8 p.m. with pumpkin decorating at 6 p.m. and a costume contest at 6:30 p.m. Call or text Matt Boss at 615-464-8627 or Johnny Barnes at 615-289-1165 to sign up for a candy booth.

October 27, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

The first of two Tennessee young sportsman deer hunts for the 2021-22 season will be held the weekend of Oct. 30-31. Youth ages 6-16 may participate. Participating youth can use gun, muzzleloader, or archery equipment.

Young sportsmen must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult, 21 or older who must remain in position to take immediate control of the hunting device. The adult must also comply with the fluorescent orange regulations as specified for legal hunters. Multiple youth may be accompanied by a single qualifying adult.

Archery season began in the state on Sept. 25 and the first segment ends Oct. 29, the day prior to the opening of the young sportsman hunt. The second segment of archery only season is Monday, Nov. 1 through Friday, Nov. 5. Muzzleloader/archery season starts Nov. 6. In Unit CWD, gun/muzzleloader/archery season begins Nov. 6. The statewide gun/muzzleloader/archery season has the traditional opening date of the Saturday before Thanksgiving which this year is Nov. 20.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency recommends that all hunters obtain a 2021-22 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide lists license requirements, the counties and bag limits for each of the different deer management units. The guide is available on the TWRA website. www.tnwildlife.org, the TWRA App, and where hunting and fishing licenses are sold.

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