Tennessee residents should be interested to know that a current Greene County, Tennessee Commissioner, who also happens to be a retired high school principal, has been charged by police with soliciting a woman to engage in prostitution. Police reports indicate that the well-respected commissioner allegedly patronized prostitution on at least two occasions – one in March and the other in April of this year.
According to the criminal complaint a woman contacted the police department to file charges claiming that on sometime in March of this year, an elderly white man had attempted to solicit her to have sex with him for money. Additionally, the same woman also filed another complaint last month that was almost identical to her previous complaint. Based on the descriptions the woman provided and a police investigation into the complaints, police later identified the man as the longtime 75-year-old Greene County, Tennessee Commissioner.
A criminal summons was issued for him to appear in General Sessions Court to defend against a charge of patronizing prostitution. If found guilty of the charge, the Greene County Commissioner will face a Class A misdemeanor and could face up to a maximum of one year behind bars. The 75-year-old has professed his innocence and denied all allegations.
A charge of patronizing prostitution can damage the reputation of an individual in the community and it may be hard, if not impossible, to bounce back from such allegations. Regardless of one’s standing in the community, it is essential to keep in mind a charge is not the same as being convicted. In all criminal cases, the prosecution has the burden of proving all elements of a charged crime beyond a reasonable doubt. During any criminal law proceeding, when an individual’s freedom and reputation hangs in the balance, it is very important to have a competent yet compassionate criminal defense attorney by one’s side to ensure that, during such taxing times, one’s right are protected.
Source: The Greenville Sun, “Co. Commissioner Seay Charged With Patronizing Prostitution,” Ken Little, May 7, 2015
