Man Sentenced to 40 Years Following Conviction in Child Exploitation Case

Shelby County, TN – David Pruett was sentenced on Friday to 40 years in prison with no possibility of parole, following his conviction in a 2019 case involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. The sentence was handed down by Skahan, who presided over the sentencing hearing and emphasized the seriousness of the offenses and the defendant’s lack of remorse.

Pruett was previously found guilty by Judge Skahan at the conclusion of a two-day bench trial in August. He was convicted of Rape of a Child, Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

During the sentencing, Judge Skahan cited multiple statutory enhancement factors supported by the trial evidence, including Pruett’s refusal to accept responsibility and disturbing jailhouse behavior. Notably, the Court referenced Pruett’s comments to fellow inmates in which he bragged about the offenses.

The charges stem from a 2019 incident in which Pruett photographed a minor engaged in a sexual act. The case was built on testimony from several key witnesses, including the victim, the victim’s aunt, responding officers, and Shelby County Criminal Investigator AJ Kant, who interviewed a jail informant. The informant revealed the location of hard drives that contained incriminating images, leading to a search conducted by MPD Sergeant Hutchinson. Testimony also included the keeper of records for the storage facility and jail calls.

Pruett will serve the entire 40-year sentence in the Tennessee Department of Correction without the possibility of parole.

The bench trial was handled by prosecutors Rob Steele and Dru Carpenter. ADA Steele handled the sentencing hearing.