A Graysville man was indicted Monday by the Rhea County Grand Jury on two counts of rape of a child and two counts of aggravated sexual battery of a child.

Charles Lester Conley, 44, of Long Street in Graysville, was named in the original indictment Monday and arrested Tuesday morning.

A 10-year-old Spring City girl told her mother in July that Conley had touched her and forced her to touch him in an inappropriate way while at her grandmother's home in Dayton. The mother called the Department of Children's Services, which investigated the case along with Dayton Police Department Investigator Chris Sneed.

That investigation resulted in an indictment for one count of aggravated sexual battery of a child, a Class B felony.

The investigation turned up a second 10-year-old girl from Dayton who alleged that Conley had sexually assaulted her at his Graysville home on three separate occasions. Deputy Rocky Potter, who investigates crimes against children for the Rhea County Sheriff's Department, investigated those charges.
Potter's investigation resulted in an indictment for two counts of rape of a child, a Class A felony, and one count of aggravated sexual battery of a child.

Potter and Sneed questioned Conley in August, and Conley ultimately confessed in two separate written statements, according to Potter.

After the Grand Jury indicted Conley, Potter arrested him Tuesday morning. He was released from the Rhea County Jail after posting a $20,000 bond.

He will be bound over to Rhea County Circuit Court on Friday.

If convicted, Conley could receive 15-25 years in prison for each of the Class A felonies and 8-12 years for each of the Class B felonies.

Those convicted of sex crimes against children must serve 100 percent of their sentences, Potter said.

John Carpenter can be reached at jcarpenter@xtn.net.