PIPERTON, Tenn. — The public works director for the City of Piperton is accused of having almost 300 photos on his phone of what appear to be children engaged in sexual activity, police said.
Terry Parker is already under investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and taking photos up her skirt on his phone.
Piperton police said in court records that last month, while investigating the contents of Parker’s phone, an officer noticed photos that appeared to be children engaged in real or simulated sexual activity.
Monday, that investigation was completed. Police said they found 283 such photos.
Parker was charged Tuesday with sexual exploitation of a minor. People who knew Parker said they were in shock.
“I had no idea,” Ray Sanders, neighbor and the grandfather of a 2-year-old boy, said. “It’s really alarming ’cause you know that’s stuff that you hear from some other place not next door to you.”
At least 35 of the photos showed children between ages 10 and 14.
“You never know what’s going on in a person’s mind,” Sanders said. “You just have to be careful.”
In November, Parker was arrested for touching a co-worker between her legs, on her butt, on her breast area and took as many as 10 photos under her dress.
“Hope he can get some help because people like that, they do need help,” Sanders said. “I feel sorry for his family.”
A spokesperson from the City of Piperton said Parker has been terminated from his position “as a result of findings from the city’s internal investigation.”
