Two men were sentenced last week in DeKalb County Criminal Court for horrific crimes against very young children.
Authorities say that between the dates of May 1, 2013 and May 1, 2014 in DeKalb County, 34-year-old John David Stoops, Jr., of South Maple Street, Lebanon, twice intentionally, knowingly, and unlawfully accomplished sexual contact with a person less than 13 years of age. The victim in the case was born on December 15, 2006, (6 Years Old).
On July 18, 2022, Stoops was named in a sealed indictment by the DeKalb County Grand Jury and placed in custody. The indictment also alleged that Stoops preyed on the child a third time between January 1 and December 1, 2016, when the child was 9 years old.
Stoops entered a plea to one count of sexual battery by an authority figure and received a six-year sentence to serve at least 85 percent. He must register with the state’s nonviolent sex offender registry. He was also given 318 days of jail credit.
In another case, a Liberty man accused under a sealed indictment for rape of a child, pled guilty in Criminal Court.
Carlos Restrepo, 63, of Cook Road, Liberty, made a plea after being accused of intentionally or knowingly sexually penetrating a person less than 13 years of age back on September 10, 2010.
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said that Restrepo was charged in the case for the rape of six year old victim. Although the case is from 2010, the victim did not disclose the crime until March 2021 after they had turned 16 years old.
The minor child disclosed the information to the Tennessee Department of Children Service, and a detective with the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, while being forensically interviewed at the Upper Cumberland Child Advocacy Center.
Authorities say that Restrepo did admit to digitally penetrating the victim's vagina. This case was investigated by the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office and the 13th Judicial District Attorney's General Office.
Restrepo entered a plea to aggravated sexual battery and received an eight-year sentence to serve at least 85 percent. He must register with the state sex offender registry, and will be under community supervision for life. He was given 25-days of jail credit.
In other Criminal Court news, 61-year-old Julio Hernandez Battle entered a plea to aggravated assault and received a sentence of three years with six months to serve. He was given jail credit from November 27, 2022 to June 2, 2023.
Raymond Marcelle Marks, 29, entered a plea to a driving under the influence fourth offense and possession of a schedule II drug. He received an eight-year sentence in the drug cases suspended to probation, concurrent to the DUI sentence, and was fined $2,000.
Marks got a one-year sentence in the DUI case to be suspended after serving 150 days. He will lose his driver license, and must attend DUI school and undergo a victim impact and alcohol and drug assessment and follow the treatment directives. He was fined $3,000. He will be on probation after serving 150 days. He was given jail credit for two days.
John Jay Miller, 61, pled guilty to forgery and received a two-year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation. On May 15, 2023, Miller forged a check in the amount of $2,361.12 in the name of the victim without authorization.
Marcus John Peregoy, 51, entered a plea to two counts of attempting to sell a schedule II drug and received a three year sentence in each case all suspended to TDOC probation. He was fined $2,000. The sentences are to run consecutively for a total of six years. He was given jail credit of twelve days.
