Rollin Joshua Talley, who lives on Goddard Avenue, was being held without bail in Blount County Jail Monday without formal charges or a set court date. Police are legally required to file charges against Talley or release him within 72 hours of his detention.
Detective Kris Sanders, who is leading an investigation into sex-related allegations against former Alcoa High School history teacher and softball coach, Paul Talley, would not confirm or deny a relation between Rollin Talley’s arrest and the case against Paul. Sanders was not able to disclose any other information at present.
“It’s an ongoing, open investigation,” Sanders said. “To say anything more could compromise that ... and right now we’re working to confirm the facts of what happened before we can say anything else.”
Even though Sanders and Alcoa Police Chief Ken Burge declined further comment, a Blount County Sheriff’s Office intakes press release lists the reason for Rollin Talley’s intake to the jail as “tampering with evidence.” According to the online inmate system, he is also described as being held as part of an investigation.
Paul Talley, 40, is accused in two separate cases by the state of Tennessee of abusing his position of authority to commit a total of nine sex offenses against minors. He was released from Blount County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bond pending a 9 a.m. Feb. 28, 2012, hearing in Blount County Circuit Court.
Former Alcoa softball coach indicted on nine sex-related charges
Austin Baird-thedailytimes.com
A
former teacher and softball coach at Alcoa High School
turned himself in to Alcoa police officers Monday after
a Blount County grand jury indicted him on charges
related to alleged sexual relationships with two minors.Documents from the indictment show that the state will bring two cases against Robert Paul Talley, 40, Westport Road, one that claims Talley was sexually involved with one girl a few times this year and another that claims he twice attempted similar behavior with another girl.
The first case involves a girl who is described as older than 13 years but less than 18, and allegedly involves sexual contact with Talley from April or May of this year to as recently as Oct. 21, less than a week before Talley abruptly sent a two-sentence letter of resignation to Scott Porter, principal of Alcoa High School, on Oct. 27.
Five charges in that case include sexual penetration; all seven counts state that Talley was “in a position of trust, or had supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim by virtue of (his) legal, professional or occupational status.”
The second case stems from events alleged to have happened in March 2010 and again in May 2011, during which Talley is accused of attempting to have sex with another girl. Talley “did intentionally command, request, hire, persuade, invite or attempt to induce a minor ... whom (he) knew or should have known to be less than (18) years of age.”
Talley faces a total five charges of statutory rape, two charges of sexual battery and two charges of solicitation of a minor for sexual battery, made legally worse because he is deemed an authority figure in all of the charges.
If convicted of all the charges, he would be sentenced to at least 21 years and as many as 106 years, 11 months and 27 days. He was being held in Blount County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bond pending a Dec. 12 hearing in Blount County Circuit Court.
The allegations came to light when Brian Bell, director of Alcoa schools, contacted authorities with concerns that Talley had been involved in “inappropriate conduct” with students. An investigation by Alcoa police detective Kris Sanders corroborated the claims, according to Police Chief Ken Burge.
Neither Burge nor Sanders could confirm whether there are other suspected victims, but said the investigation is continuing.
Burge did, however, end a press release announcing Talley’s indictment with the following plea: “If anyone has information that might be beneficial to this investigation or a similar matter, please contact (detective) Sanders.”
Sanders can be reached at 380-4964, and anonymous tips can be left by calling the Alcoa Police Department Crime Hotline at 380-4715.