http://www.t-g.com/story/1476423.html
Decision on foster mom set for December
Friday, November 7, 2008 By Brian Mosely
Shelbyville, Tennessee
A foster mother facing charges of having ***ual relations with a boy
in her care will either make a plea or have a trial date set next
month.
Meanwhile, one man pled guilty to charges of soliciting a minor over
the Internet and three others are facing similar charges.
Jennifer Renee McWhirter, 33, of Mountain View Road, Bell Buckle,
appeared briefly before Judge Lee Russell Thursday with her attorney
Jeff Seckler, and learned that her next court date is Dec. 4, at which
time she will either have a date set for trial or will make a plea.
McWhirter, who held the position of
foster care coordinator at the Center for Family Development,
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was charged in June with three counts of statutory rape by an
authority figure and one count of criminal responsibility for
facilitation of a felony.
She was placed on administrative leave from the Center pending the
outcome of the case and is currently free on $11,000 bond.
Donald Eugene Deakle, 44, was sentenced to five and half years in
prison, according to district attorney Chuck Crawford. Deakle was
arrested in July as a result of Shelbyville detective Charles Merlo's
Internet work.
Merlo enters chat rooms and ****trays a 13-year-old girl, then arrests
the suspects when they come to Shelbyville to meet their "friend."
Deakle had been charged with ***ual exploitation of a minor,
solicitation of a minor and may face additional charges in Blount
County due to having ****ographic images of children on his computer,
Merlo said in July.
Also facing a choice whether to make a plea or continue on to trial on
Dec. 4 were Hal Helton of Blount County, Hoppy Joe Brown of Savannah
and Lason Lain Watai of Nashville, who are all facing charges of
***ual exploitation of a minor and solicitation of a minor as a result
of Merlo's Internet sting in May.
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