Couple indicted on federal child exploitation offenses

Jackson, TN – A federal grand jury in Jackson, Tennessee recently returned an indictment charging an East Tennessee couple with multiple federal child sexual exploitation offenses.  United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the return of the indictment today.

According to the indictment, Randall Scott Sharpe, 56, and Tina Angelique Sharpe, 61, of Granville, Tennessee, while being in custody and control of a minor, used and employed the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in Bolivar, Tennessee, during two separate time-periods in May and September 2024.  The defendants are also charged with possessing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including visual depictions involving a prepubescent minor who had not attained 12 years of age engaging in such conduct, during the same time-periods.

Randall Sharpe is charged with additional child exploitation offenses, including two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a crime, arising from his alleged electronic communications with the same minor in November 2024.

This case is pending before United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson in Jackson.  The defendants are facing a mandatory-minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment on each of the production counts and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the possession counts.  Randall Sharpe is also facing a mandatory-minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on each of the enticement counts.

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is being investigated by agents with the FBI Nashville Division, Jackson and Memphis Resident Agencies, and officers with the Bolivar Police Department.  If anyone has any additional information regarding this case or any matter involving the abuse of minor children, please contact the FBI Nashville Division (615-232-7500) or the Bolivar Police Department (731-658-4284).

Assistant United States Attorneys Josh Morrow and Christie Hopper are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

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