Appellate court upholds 104-year prison sentence for man convicted of raping 8-year-old
The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld a 104-year prison sentence for an Anderson County man convicted of raping an 8-year-old girl multiple times over a month-long period in 2019.
As reported earlier in The Oak Ridger, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said in February 2023 that a jury convicted then 45-year-old Royce Scott Earley of two counts of rape of a child, two counts on a related charge and a charge of aggravated sexual battery. The convictions came at the end of a three-day trial. Criminal Court Judge Ryan M. Spitzer later sentenced him to 104 years in prison.
"During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors argued for enhanced punishment and consecutive sentencing because of the severity of the convictions, the vulnerability of the minor child, and the defendant's lack of remorse and accountability for his actions," Clark stated in the 2023 news release.
Early's appeal of the conviction was denied and the sentence was upheld by the state Court of Criminal Appeals on March 6, according to a news release issued from Clark's office this week.
Clark said, 'The most difficult cases are ones that involve vulnerable child victims. We are satisfied that this offender will spend the rest of his life in prison.'
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Emily F. Abbott and Sarah W. Keith. The Anderson County Sheriff's Department, Tennessee Department of Children's Services, and East Tennessee Children's Hospital all participated in investigating this case.
'We are committed to holding serious offenders accountable and protecting the most vulnerable victims. I am grateful to all those that participated in this investigation and trial to help make justice a reality in this case,' Clark said.
During the time of the initial arrest and later court proceedings, Early's address was given as Clinton and later Powell.
The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed.
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This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Court upholds 104-year sentence for man convicted of raping 8-year-old
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