Sex Offender Found Guilty

    Monday, May 18, 2026 at 4:37 AM

    By News Staff

    Last Week, a Giles County jury found 61 year old Steven Joe Townsend guilty of 4 counts of Rape of a Child, 1 count of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, and 1 count of Incest.  

    The verdict came after hearing 4 days of eveidence from Assistant District Attorneys Becky Sue Parsons and Jenni Smith. The lead Investigator on the case was TBI Special Agent Shane Hunter, who worked for the Giles County Sheriff's Department at the time of the offense.  

    Sentencing is set for June 25th, before Circuit Judge Julie Heffington, who was the judge at trial. Townsend faces a possible sentence from 15 to 255 years in the penitentiary. 

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