Sevierville man accused of paying to make child rape fantasy come true

This Sevierville fireworks store manager had one dream for which he was willing to fork out cash to achieve — rape a child, federal court records allege.

Michael Anthony Carpenter, 28, is facing a federal charge of using the internet to solicit child rape. He was arrested last week after a text message exchange in which he offered $400 to rape a 9-year-old girl in the office of the fireworks store where he served as manager, according to a complaint filed by Homeland Security Investigations Agent Glen Blache.

It was, according to a text message, his dream.

“I want to thank you for doing this for me, sweety,” the text to an undercover Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force member stated. “I never thought in a million years I could live out my fantasy.”

Australian police offer a tip

Blache wrote in the complaint that Carpenter had been suspected of using a web application known as Kik to peddle child pornography since August. The case heated up when authorities in Australia linked a user name — IAMALLVOL2425 — to Carpenter, the agent wrote.

“During this investigation the South Australian Police Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team identified IAMALLVOL2425 actively providing a link to a Dropbox account which contained images and videos of child pornography for downloading by others,” the complaint stated.

Carpenter was living with his girlfriend and her family at a residence on High Street in Sevierville, and ICAC Task Force members learned he worked as a manager at Gorilla Fireworks on Winfield Dunn Parkway, more commonly known as Highway 66, the agent wrote.

ICAC set up a sting operation in which a Knoxville Police Department investigator posed online as a woman willing to offer up her 9-year-old niece for sex. On May 18, Blache wrote, a man later identified as Carpenter phoned the undercover investigator, saying “he was looking for a child between the ages of 8 and 12 years old to fulfill a sexual fantasy.”

Blache added, “The caller said he would pay money to have this desire fulfilled.”

More communication followed, he wrote.

“The investigators conducted several undercover phone communications with this subject that were recorded in which details of the arrangement were discussed,” Blache wrote.

Boss thwarts child rape plans

On May 18, the undercover investigator and the caller began texting about the details of the cash-for-rape deal. The investigator asked for a meeting location. He responded, “My work.”

The investigator then texted, “I don’t understand how you (are) going to play with her at your work.” He replied, “I lock the door, and I have a private office.”

The next day, the suspect sent the investigator a photograph of the $400 and set up a meeting at Gorilla Fireworks for May 20. Just before the meeting was to take place, however, the suspect said he had a problem.

“I’m going to have to rent a room,” he wrote in a text. “The owner came into the fireworks store doing paperwork so I’m going to rent a room, and it will have more privacy.”

ICAC investigators were watching as Carpenter left Gorilla Fireworks and followed him to a nearby gas station where he thought he would be meeting a woman and her niece, the complaint stated. He was arrested and, according to Blache, confessed not only to the child rape proposition but routinely peddling child pornography to like-minded internet users.

“During the interview, Carpenter confessed to making arrangements to meet and have sex with (a child) in exchange for money,” the agent wrote. “Carpenter also confessed to distributing child pornography via a Dropbox account.”

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton has ordered Carpenter held without bond. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Morris is handling the prosecution. Assistant Federal Defender Bobby Hutson has been appointed to represent Carpenter.