UPDATED: COFFEE COUNTY, TN - WGNS has more details about the ongoing legal troubles of a former Siegel Middle School employee, Daniel Odell Gregory. The ex-guidance counselor is scheduled to appear in a Coffee County Circuit Courtroom on September 18, 2024, to face charges related to the aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.

The case against Gregory dates back to 2023 when the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) received information suggesting a Rutherford County School counselor was involved in the sexual exploitation of a minor. The TBI, along with the Office of the 14th Judicial District Attorney General, launched an investigation, which revealed that the suspect, reportedly living in Coffee County, was allegedly using a website to disseminate illicit sexual images of minors. The investigation ultimately identified Gregory as the account user behind the crimes, according to the TBI.

On September 25, 2023, Gregory was arrested by special agents with the TBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, with support from deputies in Rutherford and Coffee Counties. His case was later presented to a Coffee County Grand Jury, which led to 11 counts of Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor charges being filed against him.

Mr. Gregory was believed to be involved in the unlawful and online exchange or possession of material that showed a minor engaged in sexual activity or simulated sexual activity, as noted in T.C.A. Code 39-17-1004.

Gregory was initially set to appear in court earlier this month for a “Discussion Hearing,” but that date has been pushed back to next month. When he does appear, Coffee County Circuit Court records show that Gregory will be represented by Public Defender Margaret Lamb Kilgore.

Before his arrest, Gregory was employed as a guidance counselor at Siegel Middle School in Murfreesboro, where he worked with students whose last names began with the letters P through Z. Following his arrest, Rutherford County Schools Communications Director James Evans informed WGNS that Gregory had resigned from his position after learning of the initial investigation. Evans also clarified that the charges against Gregory did not involve any Rutherford County School students.

Gregory had been with the Rutherford County School system for 17 years, having been hired on August 15, 2006. His 2023 resignation marked the end of a lengthy career within the educational system.

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