Oak Ridge man charged with multiple sex crimes against a juvenile
April 2, 2026
Blount County, Tennessee – Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong announced that investigators charged a 24-year-old Oak Ridge man with eight counts related to his involvement with an underage female in Blount County.
Ethan Howard Owens, 24, of Oak Ridge, is charged with the following:
- Two (2) counts of exploitation of a minor by electronic means
- Four (4) counts of rape
- Two (2) counts of statutory rape
Owens was transferred to the Blount County Correctional Facility from the Monroe County Jail on March 31. Upon arrival, Owens was served with warrants for these charges. Owens was indicted on the charges by a Blount County Grand Jury in March. Owens is being held in the Blount County Correctional Facility on bonds totaling $400,000 pending a hearing in Blount County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. on April 6, 2026.
The Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into Owens in September 2025 when investigators received the report of a 13-year-old Blount County girl who was involved with Owens. The investigation revealed that Owens sent sexually explicit material to the girl by electronic means on multiple occasions before he met her in person and forced her into sexual relations without her consent. The investigator presented his case to the Blount County Grand Jury on March 2, 2026 who then returned a true bill on all eight counts.
Earlier this year, Owens was charged with aggravated statutory rape by the Madisonville Police Department.