Dunlap firefighter charged with sexual exploitation of Missouri minor

photo Phillip McGhee

A volunteer Dunlap, Tenn., firefighter was arrested this week on an indictment handed down Monday by a Sequatchie County grand jury charging him with sexual exploitation of a minor.

The minor was a 14-year-old girl living in Missouri, Assistant District Attorney Steve Strain said.

Phillip McGhee, 46, of Dunlap, is accused of sending the girl a cell phone photo of his private parts, Strain said.

The girl's mother alerted authorities in Missouri.

The girl's mother had been corresponding with McGhee and had mutual friends with him on Facebook, Strain said. McGhee did not ask the girl to have sex.

Strain said the girl started having a conversation with McGhee on her mother's cell phone. The teen identified herself and told McGhee she was 14 years old, Strain said.

Despite her age, McGhee allegedly sent the photo to the girl anyway, Strain said.

Dunlap Police Chief Clint Huth said the photo was sent on Sept. 7, and it wasn't long before Missouri reached out to Dunlap authorities.

Huth said detectives in each state agreed to allow McGhee to be prosecuted in Tennessee and, since the grand jury was meeting Monday, investigators decided to present evidence for an original indictment rather than arrest McGhee. That eliminated a step and allowed the case to be taken up in Circuit Court rather than General Sessions, the chief said.

Huth said McGhee had been with Dunlap's volunteer fire department for more than 20 years.

Dunlap Fire Chief Norman Hatfield suspended McGhee from all fire department activities pending the outcome of the case, Huth said.

McGhee is scheduled for arraignment in Sequatchie County Circuit Court on Friday.

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.

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