John SpauldingA Hamilton County Sheriff's Office deputy was indicted Wednesday on charges that he kept child pornography on his cell phone.
John Spaulding, 49, was arrested Thursday, a day after his six-count indictment, which states that on May 2, Spaulding "unlawfully and knowingly possessed material that includes a minor engaged in sexual activity or simulated sexual activity that is patently offensive."
He is charged with six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, court records show.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the agency received a tip on June 22 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that claimed a man had child pornography on his phone on May 2.
TBI investigators then determined that the man was Spaulding, spokeswoman Susan Niland said in a release.
Spaulding was suspended from the sheriff's office with pay onJuly 29 after TBI alerted the office to the investigation into Spaulding, spokesman Matt Lea said.
Spaulding, who has worked for the sheriff for 20 years, is now suspended without pay, Lea said.
This is the second time in six years that Spaulding has been arrested for criminal charges involving child sex crimes.
In 2010, Spaulding was charged with two counts of aggravated sexual battery among allegations of inappropriate contact with two juveniles in White County, according to Times Free Press records.
A clerk in White County Criminal Court on Friday had no record of the charges against Spaulding, and the clerk could not say what happened in that case. But Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond said all the charges against Spaulding were dropped about two years after the allegations were made.
Hammond said Spaulding, who had been on unpaid leave for that entire time, asked to be reinstated to the sheriff's department once the 2010 charges were dropped.
"White County dropped all charges against him, so we had no reason to keep him from working," Hammond said. "In this case, we've been down this road before, and he was exonerated."
But Hammond acknowledged that it is concerning to see such similar charges brought against Spaulding again.
"It's one of those cases that you wish you had a crystal ball and you could tell what was on people's minds, but you don't," Hammond said. "You have to follow the law, even for police officers."
Spaulding, who was released on a $10,000 bond, is scheduled to appear in Hamilton County Criminal Court on Sept. 16.
Sexual exploitation of a minor is a Class D Felony in Tennessee. If convicted, Spaulding faces between two and 12 years in prison on each count, according to state law.
He could not be reached for comment on Friday.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas. Follow @ShellyBradbury.