Former Oak Ridge National Laboratory Program Director Sentenced To 19 Years For Sexual Exploitation Of A Child In Two Federal Districts

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee. - On August 12, 2026, Andrew Worrall, 56, a citizen of the United Kingdom currently residing in Knox County, Tennessee, was sentenced to 235 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, Worrall will be on lifetime supervised release, will be required to register with state sex offender registries, comply with special sex offender conditions, and will be deported back to the United Kingdom following his sentence. As part of his sentence, Worrall was also required to sell his Farragut, Tennessee home where he conducted the offenses of conviction. Criminal forfeiture was ordered in the amount of $249,805.29, which is his equity from the sale of the property.

As part of the universal plea agreement filed with the Eastern District of Tennessee (EDTN) and the District of South Carolina (DSC), Worrall agreed to plead guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e) for the EDTN indictment, and one count of production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e) for the DSC indictment.

While at his home on July 7, 2025, Worrall contacted a 17-year-old minor female on the Snapchat application using the internet. Knowing the age of the child, Worrall requested nude pictures of her, to which the child complied. Worrall then requested the child send a video of her inserting a foreign object into her body, again, to which the child complied.

On the same day, and continuing into July 8, 2025, Worrall contacted another 17-year-old minor female, who resided in DSC, using his Snapchat account. Worrall had similar communication with the child, asking to prove she was real by sending him pictures. After the victim complied, he requested that she engage in sexual activity on video for Worrall's pleasure, to which the child complied.

"The 19-year sentence in this case hopefully brings a sense of justice and dignity to Worrall's victims and deters others from committing similar crimes," said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. "With our federal, state, and local partners, the U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute criminals who prey on and sexually exploit minors."

"Worrall's exploitation of minors is reprehensible," said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. "This case is yet another example of how U.S. Attorney's Offices will work together with law enforcement agencies - across this country - to ensure child predators are brought to justice."

"Our investigators will continue doing everything they can to identify and investigate instances of child exploitation within the Department. We know all too well the damage caused by these crimes to our communities, and we will continue working with the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney's Offices around the country to investigate and prosecute the offenders," said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Lewe Sessions.

The criminal indictments were the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General, led by Special Agents Paul Gilbride and Owen Igo.

AUSA Jennifer Kolman of the Eastern District of Tennessee and AUSA Dean H. Secor of the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click the tab "resources."

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