Former Rutherford County Sheriff's colonel charged with sex offender registry violation

Nancy DeGennaro and Scott Broden, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
·2 min read
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A former Rutherford County Sheriff's Department colonel has been charged with a felony for sexual offender registration form violation.

Edward "Eddie" T. Farmer, 63, of Murfreesboro, was taken into custody Thursday by Murfreesboro Police Department officers and U.S. Marshals. Farmer, who was fired from RCSO in 2005, was booked into the Rutherford County Detention Center Thursday and released on a $5,000 bond.

According to an MPD official, a warrant was obtained because Farmer left Tennessee and visited Florida for approximately three weeks and failed to inform the Murfreesboro Police Department Sex Offender Registry coordinator and did he report his visit to Florida authorities.

Farmer's hearing is set for Aug. 22 in Rutherford County General Sessions Court.

In 2015, the former Robertson County attorney and his ex-girlfriend pled guilty to sex crimes against minors.

The pair were accused of grooming, coercing and soliciting sex from two juvenile victims between January and May 2010.

Farmer, who lived in Springfield at the time, pled guilty to one count of facilitation of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of attempt to commit tampering with evidence, according to court documents.

The plea deal with Robertson County prosecutors required him to serve six years of supervised probation, register as a sex offender and surrender his law license, according to documents.

In 2000 — 10 years prior to the year the convicted sex crimes occurred — Farmer vied for the position of Rutherford County's first Juvenile Court judge. Retiring Juvenile Judge Donna Davenport, whose career has been mired in controversy over illegal jailing of youth, won the bid for the seat over Farmer by a 61 to 39 percent margin.

Over the next five years, Farmer was promoted to colonel and made third in command by then Sheriff Truman Jones.

But Farmer's career took a downturn in 2005 when he was demoted to major by Jones and then fired a week later for “conduct unbecoming an officer” and after an internal investigation. The sheriff would not disclose the information that triggered Farmer's termination at that time. Farmer was also investigated by the TBI.

The internal investigation began the week prior to Farmer's termination when Jennifer Scott, a deputy in training who was also fired, accused Farmer of bruising her during an argument. She obtained a civil order of protection against Farmer.

In February 2006, Farmer and Scott agreed to a restraining order with restrictions that he could not contact her. Two weeks later, Farmer was charged with domestic assault after allegedly violating the restraining order.

Domestic violence charges against Farmer were retired after the former RCSO colonel agreed to a one-year order of protection worked out by attorneys and approved by Circuit Court Judge J. Mark Rogers.

This is a developing story.

Nicole Young contributed to this article. Reach her at nyoung@tennessean.com.

Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at degennaro@dnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Former Rutherford Sheriff's colonel charged with sex registry violation