The former Director of Nuclear Energy Programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Andrew Worrall, has been apprehended amid serious allegations involving minors. The 56-year-old now faces multiple charges, including attempted coercion and enticement, sex trafficking of a child, and the exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing child pornography. Following these charges, Worrall is no longer affiliated with the US Department of Energy’s largest national laboratory, as confirmed by a spokesperson to Nexstar’s 6 News.

The investigation into Worrall’s activities began earlier this year, prompted by an 18-year-old woman who provided screenshots of her text exchanges with Worrall to an ORNL employee ethics hotline. According to the criminal complaint, the woman revealed to Worrall that she was 16 years old at the time of their communication. These messages were traced back to a phone number officially associated with Worrall at ORNL. Within these conversations, court documents indicate that Worrall proposed meeting her and discussed possible travel arrangements.