June 18, 2025 – Today, following a 2-day jury trial and less than 30 minutes of deliberation, Assistant District Attorneys Nathan Nichols and Tara Wyllie secured convictions against Dennis C. Gilliam for 20-counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Gilliam, age 61, was arrested in April of 2024 after a search warrant executed at his Hendersonville home by detectives with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division resulted in the seizure of numerous electronic devices. Subsequent analysis of those devices by Detective Eric Poulin led to the discovery of hundreds of images and videos depicting the rape, torture, and sexual exploitation of children, many of them less than 10 years of age.
Gilliam’s bond was immediately revoked by Judge Jennifer Nichols and he will remain in custody pending his sentencing on August 11, 2025.
Gilliam faces up to 120-years in prison and, under Tennessee law, will not be eligible for probation, parole, or any form of early release.
In announcing Gilliam’s conviction, District Attorney General Ray Whitley said “I appreciate the outstanding investigative work of the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office in this very difficult and disturbing case. The Sumner County District Attorney’s Office remains focused on aggressively prosecuting any individual found to be consuming, trading, or manufacturing child sexual abuse material and today’s conviction is the latest example of that.”
Source: Ray Whitley, District Attorney General, Sumner County, TN
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