Dewayne Douglas Price, Jr., 42, of Ooltewah, was sentenced on Friday by the Travis R. McDonough, Chief United States District Court Judge, in the United States District Court at Chattanooga, to a term of imprisonment of 32 years.
Following his incarceration, Price will be on a term of supervised release for life, and he will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
Pursuant to the filed plea agreement, Price pled guilty to four counts, two counts of exploitation of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a), receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2), and possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(b), on February 23, 2024.
According to filed court documents, Price solicited women throughout the United States to molest their children and then send him images of the abuse. Price confessed to law enforcement, and some of the women throughout the U.S. have also been charged by federal or state authorities.
“As the court records show, Price’s conduct was depraved and outrageous,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Our office is committed to pursuing, uncovering, and prosecuting to the full extent of the law the criminals who sexually victimize children.”
“Children are among the most vulnerable members of our community, and we must protect them in any way we can. This case is a great example of the work that can be done when state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies collaborate across state lines. We will continue to work diligently with our partners to identify and investigate those who engage in this predatory behavior to ensure the safety of our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to the conviction of Price included the FBI and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney James Brooks prosecuted the case in coordination with Special Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Minor, who is assigned to the United States Department of Justice to combat child sex offenses in partnership with the Hamilton County District Attorney General’s Office.
This case was investigated as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, click on the link for “Publications & Resources.”