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785: Jimmy Ray Neal

Jimmy Ray Neal

Jimmy Ray Neal was a Putnam County, Tennessee commissioner until he resigned in July 2022. He was arrested in May, 2022 for possession of child sex abuse material. The US Attorney alleges he was the administrator of a CSAM sharing group on Kik, a popular app for pedophiles. His trial has been postponed to August 2023.

He entered a guilty plea on January 9, 2026. Sentencing is May 11, 2026.

Neal trial continued to later in year
March 17, 2023 | Herald-Citizen (Cookeville, TN)
Author/Byline: MEGAN REAGAN | Section: News
151 Words

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The tentative April 25 trial date which was set for Jimmy Ray Neal has been rescheduled for later in the summer of 2023 after a request for continuance from his attorney.

According to court documents, Jonathan Farmer, attorney for Neal, said he has been investigating the facts and evidence himself and with a forensics expert, but has not had time to finalize his investigation.

Neal, a former Putnam County District 9 commissioner and retired law enforcement officer with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, is facing federal charges related to the possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography.

Arrested from his home in May of last year, Neal was a subject of an investigation involving agents with the FBI and Homeland Security, who were looking into a Kik chat group in which images of child pornography were viewed and shared with other users.

U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson has tentatively continued the April 25 trial to August.

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