Clarksville Man Charged For Driving To New York To Sexual Abuse Preteen Girl

Saturday, November 23, 2024, 10:25 J. StewA.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

ALBANY, NY.- An apparent Tennessee child predator will remain detained in federal custody after his plans to drive from Clarksville, Tennessee, to Clifton Park, New York, to engage with sexual intercourse with an 11-year-old girl was interrupted when he arrived at a prearranged location and was taken into custody by Federal and State law enforcement investigators.

     According to U.S. Attorney Caral B. Freedman, on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Donald Jenkins, 37, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was taken into custody and charged criminally with Interstate Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor.

Judge Orders Jenkins Detained

     On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Jenkins appeared before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing, which has been scheduled for Monday, November 25, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.

     According to charging information filed in the complaint, in September 2024, Jenkins began communicating with an individual to discuss and plan his sexual abuse of an 11-year-old child residing in Clifton Park, New York. Jenkins ultimately devised a plan to rent a car in Tennessee and drive to Clifton Park in order to sexually abuse the child. On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, after arriving in Clifton Park at a prearranged meeting location, Jenkins was quickly apprehended.

     It is alleged that Jenkins took a sexually transmitted disease test earlier in the day and brought multiple pairs of children’s underwear as a gift for the child.

     If convicted at trial, Jenkins faces a maximum term of 30 years in federal prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He would also be required to register as a sex offender in the national database.

     The investigation and case were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges Outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”