OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — A former director of nuclear energy programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was arrested after an investigation into allegations that he solicited explicit messages and images from underage girls.

According to documents obtained by WBIR, 56-year-old Andrew Worrall is facing charges of attempted coercion and enticement, sex trafficking of a child and exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing child pornography.

The documents said Worrall was employed at the Office of Science at ORNL. An ORNL spokesperson confirmed that Worrall no longer works at the location.

The investigation began earlier this year after an 18-year-old woman emailed screenshots of text conversations between her and Worrall to an ORNL employee ethics hotline, the documents said.

According

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