Ethan Howard Owens, a 24-year-old man from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has been charged with eight counts in Blount County related to his involvement with a 13-year-old girl. The charges include two counts of exploitation of a minor by electronic means, four counts of rape, and two counts of statutory rape. Owens was transferred from the Monroe County Jail to the Blount County Correctional Facility on March 31, where he was served with the warrants. He had been indicted by a Blount County Grand Jury in March and is currently being held on a total bond of $400,000. He is scheduled to appear in Blount County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. on April 6, 2026.

The Blount County Sheriff’s Office launched its investigation in September 2025 after receiving a report about the underage girl. Investigators determined that Owens had sent the 13-year-old sexually explicit material electronically on multiple occasions before meeting her in person and forcing her into non-consensual sexual relations. The case was presented to the Blount County Grand Jury on March 2, 2026, which returned a true bill on all eight charges. Earlier this year, Owens was also charged with aggravated statutory rape by the Madisonville Police Department.