Georgia man arrested in Pigeon Forge after two-month manhunt

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Georgia man was arrested in Pigeon Forge at 3 p.m. Thursday for multiple counts of child molestation.

Dennis Dewayne Dockery, 67, was originally arrested in August of 2021 after police investigations found that he may have been molesting children since 2002.

Dockery was charged but released on bond. On May 13, 2022, he was required to wear an ankle monitor, but reports say he tampered with his ankle monitor, which violated his bond conditions. U.S. Marshals said he then fled the state to escape being arrested.

Local investigators partnered with U.S. Marshals’ Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force in Atlanta on a two-month manhunt to find Dockery. The investigations revealed that Dockery was possibly in East Tennessee.

The police reported that they found Dockery with a loaded firearm in his waistband in Pigeon Forge. He was taken to Sevier County Jail and is waiting to be transferred to Georgia for his charges.

“This subject has preyed upon the most innocent of victims and tried to avoid facing justice, but this once again proves you can run but you can’t hide,” stated Marshal Jolley. “I would like to thank all the agencies that make up the Smoky Mountains Fugitive Task Force, especially the Sevier, Knox, Anderson, Blount, Claiborne, and Union County Sheriff’s Offices as their participation was key in this arrest.”