Probation Officer Charged in TBI Misconduct Investigation

BLOUNT COUNTY – An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has led to the arrest of a Blount County probation officer accused of official misconduct.

In January, at the request of 5th Judicial District Attorney General Ryan Desmond, TBI agents began investigating allegations of misconduct involving James Glenn Dale (DOB: 02/18/83), a probation officer employed by the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency. During the course of the investigation, agents learned that Dale engaged in sexual contact with a female probationer under his supervision.

Last week, the Blount County Grand Jury returned indictments charging James Dale with one count each of Official Misconduct, Official Oppression, and Sexual Contact with a Probationer. Today, with the assistance of the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, he was arrested and booked into the Blount County Detention Facility on a $250,000 bond.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

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