Sevierville, TN (WOKI) A Sevierville man was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to child sex crime charges.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice say 47-year-old Ronnie Joe Maples was sentenced to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.

Federal investigators say Maples and another individual were messaging one another in November of 2022 about molesting children and producing child pornography on the internet.

During these discussions, Maples received child pornography from this individual.

The person with whom Maples was corresponding cooperated with investigators leading to Maples’ arrest.

Maples must also register as a sex offender and will be on lifetime supervised release following his incarceration.