Chattanooga man sentenced to life in prison for child sexual abuse

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A Chattanooga man was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for nearly three decades of sexual abuse of minors.

U.S. District Court Judge Charles E. Atchley, Jr. sentenced 64-year-old Mark Deakins to life imprisonment.

A jury found Deakins guilty on May 11, 2023.

Mark Deakins mugshot from 2008 arrest. Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office

The U.S. Department of Justice said Deakins repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted numerous pre-teen and teen boys from 1995 to 2018, according to evidence presented at trial.

In addition, they said these crimes happened at his various residences and other locations around Chattanooga.

“He also transported a victim across state lines to engage in illegal sexual exploitation and abuse,” the DOJ said.

Deakins was already on the sex offender registry for past convictions during these crimes, they added.

“The evidence presented at trial demonstrated how egregious the defendant’s conduct was. He hunted for the most weak and vulnerable. He preyed on young boys desperate for male role models in a vacuum created by absentee fathers. He often lured the boys with promises that he would mentor them about construction and tools,” the DOJ explained.

Additionally, evidence showed Deakins recorded many of these crimes, having thousands of child sexual abuse images and videos.

At trial, victims spanning multiple generations testified against him.

“Deakins’s offenses are heinous, leaving impacts on his victims that are immeasurable,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, of the FBI. “Unfortunately, exploitation of youth is a very real and growing issue in our country. The FBI will continue to do everything in its power to ensure children, who are the most vulnerable members of our community, are protected.”

Various law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation as part of Project Safe Childhood. Those agencies included the Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Red Bank Police Department, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and U.S. Marshals Service.