HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. - A legal challenge filed by a convicted sex offender has highlighted procedural concerns within the judicial process, leading the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals to mandate a new sentencing hearing for the defendant. The case originated from an investigation into illicit digital media discovered on the suspect's electronic devices in 2022.
Jay B. Chandler, 42, (pictured above) was previously convicted in a Sumner County courtroom on charges related to the possession of explicit videos and photographs involving children.
The investigation began in October 2022 after a witness observed Chandler engaging in sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old female and recording the encounter on his mobile device. Following a report to the Hendersonville Police Department, Detective Javier Garcia arrested Chandler at his place of employment, where he served as a kitchen manager.
Upon his arrest, Chandler initially provided conflicting statements regarding the location of his phone, eventually claiming it was inside his vehicle. When he refused to consent to a search of the car, investigators obtained a search warrant but were unable to locate the device within the automobile.
While the vehicle search was underway, Detective Lee Chambers approached an employee outside the restaurant. The worker entered the establishment and returned with the defendant's phone. A subsequent forensic examination of the device revealed not only the recording involving the teenager but also numerous files depicting children as young as five years old being exploited by adults. This evidence led to a search of Chandler's residence, where authorities recovered additional hard drives and computers containing thousands of illegal images.
During a hearing to suppress the evidence, the defense argued the phone was obtained through an illegal search. Testimony revealed that the phone was retrieved from a semi-transparent storage drawer labeled with Chandler's name, located in a manager's office used by multiple employees, but restricted to the public.
The appellate court recently affirmed the convictions for 54 counts of possessing child sexual exploitation material. While the higher court agreed that the initial warrantless seizure of the phone from the restaurant was unconstitutional, it ruled the evidence was admissible under the "inevitable discovery doctrine," concluding that police would have lawfully found the devices during the subsequent residential search.
During the appeals process, attorney Pat McNally argued on behalf of Chandler, stating that another employee went into the restaurant's office and took Chandler's phone out of a transparent drawer that had his name on it. The worker then gave the device to the police... Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Camille R. McMullen said...
The Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee vacated the 100-year prison sentence, citing multiple abuses of discretion by the trial judge. These errors included the improper application of a "vulnerable victim" enhancement factor, the refusal to consider a mandatory risk-assessment report, and the inappropriate interjection of personal religious beliefs during the proceedings.
The case has been remanded to the Sumner County Criminal Court for a new sentencing hearing. Chandler, who is currently incarcerated at the Morgan County Correctional Complex, also faces a separate trial set for June 22, 2026. That pending case involves 2017 allegations including seven counts of rape of a child and 19 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
More Details on the original court case: During a hearing regarding the suppression of evidence, Hendersonville Detective Javier Garcia testified about his interview with the victim concerning her relationship with Jay Burroughs Chandler. At the time of the encounters, the minor was 16 years old, while Chandler was 39. The victim informed investigators that Chandler served as her supervisor at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant where they both worked.
Testimony further detailed the specific manner in which investigators recovered Chandler’s mobile device. According to court records, Detective Lee Chambers questioned a restaurant employee about whether the suspect had left any personal property behind. The staff member reportedly retrieved the phone and handed it over to the detective.
Investigators subsequently requested to view the exact location where the device had been stored. The employee led officers to a manager's office—an area not open to the public—which contained a set of plastic storage bins. One of the semi-transparent drawers was labeled with Chandler’s name. Detective Garcia described the scene as a modest office where multiple employees moved in and out. The worker identified the specific drawer as the location where the phone had been discovered.
Although the defense moved to suppress the evidence gathered from the phone, the court denied the request. Chandler was eventually convicted during a bench trial and received an effective sentence of 100 years in prison. He subsequently filed a direct appeal challenging the conviction and the sentencing.
- See Appeals Court Documents HERE.
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