Deputy arrested before on child sex charges
In late 2009, multiple children told authorities that a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy sexually molested them in White County, Tenn. The deputy was arrested, but three years later, prosecutors moved to dismiss the case because they believed the children weren’t credible, records show.
All charges were dismissed, the criminal record apparently was expunged, and Deputy John Spaulding went back to work in Hamilton County — until early this month, when he was arrested and charged with keeping child pornography on his cellphone.
Spaulding, 49, is now once again on unpaid leave from the sheriff’s office, indicted on six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
A review of the sheriff’s office’s internal affairs report into the 2009 allegations reveals that at least four and as many as 10 children told White County authorities that Spaulding touched them inappropriately.
Authorities took only two of the cases to a grand jury that returned indictments in 2010 for two counts of aggravated sexual battery, according to the report.
However, prosecutors later discovered that one child was unwilling to testify in a trial, and that one witness’ testimony contradicted a report given by one of the alleged victims.
In court records, prosecutors in White County said they believed the children may have been coached by their mother into making false accusations. A colleague of the mother said she had become so obsessed with sexual abuse she was asked to leave her job.
Two other people said the mother used to interrogate them when they were children. They said she would pull them aside and ask if they had ever been sexually abused, and wouldn’t stop until they made a false admission of abuse.
Prosecutors concluded the children may have lied, and may have been coerced into lying. A judge dismissed the case in 2012.
In the pending child pornography case, Spaulding is due in court on Sept. 16.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas. Follow @ShellyBradbury.