In the weeks leading up to Halloween, Knoxville Police Department investigators conducted 100 sex offender compliance reviews as part of the department's Halloween sex offender compliance operation. That operation, classified as “Operation Innocence”, was led by Violent Crimes Unit investigator Evan Thornton, who oversees the Sex Offender Registry Detail, with special assistance from fellow VCU investigator Preston Whillock.
Those sex offender compliance reviews consisted of both digital and physical compliance checks that were conducted over a two-week period. As a result of that compliance operation, investigators were able to secure a total of 11 felony sex offender warrants, a resisting arrest misdemeanor warrant, and a violation of probation warrant out of Blount County. Additionally, investigators served four outstanding warrants for sex offender registry violations on Halloween.
“This operation is a direct effort to protect the children of Knoxville, and I am extremely proud of Investigator Thornton for his dedication and hard work in seeing it through,” Chief of Police Eve Thomas said. “I also want to thank Investigator Whillock for all of the extra time that he put in on his days off to assist. This operation lets sex offenders know that we are watching and will not tolerate violations that potentially put our children at risk. The community is safer thanks to the diligence and thoroughness of Investigators Thornton and Whillock.”