Anderson County man sentenced to 104 years in prison on child rape charges
An Anderson County man has been sentenced to 104 years in prison after being convicted of charges connected to the rape of a child.
In a news release issued Monday, Anderson County District Attorney General David "Dave" Clark stated that Criminal Court Judge Ryan M. Spitzer had sentenced 45-year-old Royce Scott Earley to 104 years in prison. Earley was convicted of two counts of rape of a child, two counts of a related charge and a charge of aggravated sexual battery. The convictions on Feb. 16 came at the end of a three-day trial.
"During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors argued for enhanced punishment and consecutive sentencing because of the severity of the convictions, the vulnerability of the minor child, and the defendant’s lack of remorse and accountability for his actions," the release stated.
It was reported earlier, based on news releases from Clark's office and the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, that Earley was arrested in late 2019 and that the child was younger than 10 at the time of the offenses
The judge also ordered Earley to be placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Sexual Offender Registry and community supervision for the rest of his life.
The case was investigated by the county sheriff’s office with the assistance of the Child Advocacy Center, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, and the Department of Children’s Services. Prosecutors Emily F. Abbott and Sarah W. Keith prosecuted this case on behalf of the state.
Clark stated, “We try to manage a broken and overwhelmed criminal justice system every day. It is encouraging when things work like they should. On behalf of the people of our state, I am grateful to all those who helped achieve justice in this case; especially the young and courageous victim.”
Donna Smith is The Oak Ridger’s news editor and covers Oak Ridge area news. Email dsmith@oakridger.com. Twitter: @ridgernewsed.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing at https://subscribe.oakridger.com/offers.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Anderson County man sentenced to 104 years on child rape charges
