Convicted Child Rapist Sent to Prison for 50 Years

Convicted child rapist, Troy Love, 62, was sentenced to serve fifty years in the Tennessee Department of Correction without the possibility of parole. Judge Steve Sword sentenced Love today following his conviction by a Knox County Jury of two counts of Rape of a Child and one count of Aggravated Sexual Battery. Assistant District Attorneys Kit Rodgers and Ashley McDermott of the Child Abuse Unit prosecuted the case.

In January 2013, Knox County Sheriff’s Office Detective Miranda Spangler began an investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse committed by Love on a seven-year-old victim. Detective Spangler’s investigation led to the arrest of Love in August of 2013. Today, Assistant District Attorney Kit Rodgers presented victim impact testimony and argued that the appropriate sentence should exceed the twenty-five year mandatory minimum. Judge Sword found several sentencing enhancement factors and ultimately found fifty years to be the appropriate sentence given the nature and facts of the case.

District Attorney General Charme Allen was pleased by the sentence stating,”One of the main goals of the District Attorney’s Office is to seek justice for victims. When a criminal victimizes children, the most vulnerable members of our community, it is imperative that we make sure others cannot be victimized. With a fifty-year sentence, this Defendant will never harm a child again.”

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.