Jury Convicts Stevie Michael Irwin of Rape of a Child

On Wednesday, August 27, 2014, a Knox County jury convicted Stevie Michael Irwin, 37, of two counts of Rape of a Child, two counts of Attempted Rape of a Child, one count of Aggravated Sexual Battery, and one count of Incest. Because of the nature of the crimes and mandatory sentencing statutes, Irwin is facing a minimum of twenty-five years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Judge John Kerry Blackwood presided over the two-day trial.

In October 2010, Knox County Sheriff’s Office Detective Brian Williams began an investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse committed by Irwin on a minor victim during the years the victim was five to eight years old. The State presented testimony from the victim, Detective Williams, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Agent Jennifer Milsaps, who testified as an expert on DNA evidence. Assistant District Attorneys Kit Rodgers and Ashley McDermott of the Child Abuse Unit prosecuted the case.

The District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the jurors for their service and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work and dedication.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.