LENOIR CITY, Tenn. – A Lenoir City man, Emilio Ortiz, who was previously convicted of felony crimes in another state and once served as a scout leader has been convicted by District Attorney General Russell Johnson’s Office of Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation and Aggravated Sexual Battery from crimes committed on a minor female several years prior but disclosed by the victim in later years and she is now adult. Ortiz, a former scout leader in Lenior City, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison at a hearing held on Monday in Meigs County where Criminal Court for cases from all four counties of the 9th Judicial District was being held.

This conviction resulted following a multi-agency investigation that uncovered years of abuse documented in disturbing digital evidence. LCPD Detective Jason Smith, 9th DAG Office ICAC Agent Cortney Dugger and 9th DAG Office Investigator Chanel Finnell worked together along with DCS Investigator Nicole Simmerly as part of an ongoing Child Protective Investigative Team (CPIT) case involving a minor victim who, during a forensic interview, disclosed sexual abuse by Ortiz that allegedly spanned over a decade. The abuse was recorded by Ortiz and involved repeated sexual assaults beginning when the victim was approximately six years old.

LCPD Detective Jason Smith and Nicole Simmerly with the Department of Children’s Services brought the child for a second interview after initial disclosures suggested deeper criminal conduct. During that interview, the victim revealed that Ortiz used Facebook Messenger to arrange meetings for the abuse and to produce illicit images and videos. Complicating the case, months earlier, the victim (as an older teenager) attempted to solicit money from Ortiz under threat of exposing the abuse, leading Ortiz to sever contact in July 2020.

An undercover operation was conducted from October 21 to October 29, 2020, during which an investigator posed as the victim and communicated with Ortiz via Messenger. During those conversations, Ortiz corroborated details of the abuse. On October 29, 2020, Ortiz arrived at a Dollar General in Lenoir City expecting to meet the victim for sex but was instead met by law enforcement and arrested. He gave a brief but incriminating statement before

invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. His vehicle was seized, and he was charged with Solicitation of Especially Aggravated Exploitation of a Minor.

Immediately following his arrest, Detective Smith obtained and executed a search warrant at Ortiz’s residence with support from LCPD, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), and the 9th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office. Investigators recovered more than twenty digital devices, including cellphones, flash drives, cameras, and SD cards. Forensic examination of the devices revealed approximately 1,000 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving the primary victim, documenting repeated abuse from ages six through seventeen.

The investigation also uncovered a second minor victim, who had been exploited and abused by Ortiz at a Blount County theater, where Ortiz operated a cleaning business. Blount County charged Ortiz with possession of CSAM involving her.

Ortiz has been in Loudon County Jail continuously since his arrest in 2020. The case has been delayed from coming to this conclusion for multiple reasons: Ortiz has continually been appointed taxpayer funded attorneys that he has filed bar complaints against and ultimately fired, with the current attorney being his fifth. He has filed multiple lawsuits against Loudon County and the sheriff’s offices. It has been problematic dealing with a victim who has suffered substance abuse issues because of the sexual abuse she has endured.

Despite his prior criminal record and prior sexual abuse allegations from another state, Ortiz had maintained a reputation in the community as a devoted family man, business owner, and scout leader. Investigators believe Ortiz used this perceived trustworthiness to gain access to vulnerable children, including those who were friends with his own children.

ADAs Jed Bassett and Jason Collver prosecuted this case for the district attorney’s office. This case represents a significant collaboration between law enforcement, child protection professionals, and prosecutors, and demonstrates a continued commitment to bringing justice to victims of child sexual abuse.