County commissioner sentenced to 2 yrs for sexual battery

BENTON COUNTY, Tenn. – A Benton County Commissioner has been sentenced to two years in the Tennessee Department of Corrections for sexual battery.

Stephen Stokes was indicted in June 2025 for a Class E felony charge of sexual battery of a minor. According to court records, the incident happened in 2022. On Tuesday, January 20, he was sentenced by Judge Bruce Griffey in Benton County Circuit Court.

Stokes was arrested in June 2025 and pled guilty to the charge. Although his sentence is for 100 percent, Stokes will receive pretrial jail credit to be applied to his sentence. He is also required to register as a sex offender and provide a DNA sample.

Stokes is the District 1 County Commissioner for Benton County. The county has not replaced him on the commission yet because they were waiting on his sentencing.

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COMMISSIONER TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

LOCAL COUNTY COMMISSIONER INDICTED

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