Man Accused of Wanting to Have Sex with a Baby Sentenced to 25 years

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – The man accused of traveling from Mississippi to Chattanooga in hopes of having sex with a 10-month-old child has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

If he lives long enough to get out, 50-year-old Dennis Gaal will be on supervised release for the rest of his life.

He pleaded guilty to one count of interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit
sexual conduct,

When Gaal came to Chattanooga in 2023, he’d been communicating with a person whom he thought had access to the child, but it was really an FBI Agent.

He was promptly arrested and has been in custody ever since.

Gaal was already a registered sex offender.

He was sentenced Friday, 2/21/25, in U.S. District Court.