After pleading guilty to child endangerment and neglect, a Knoxville man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday. Rocky Wooldridge, 50, of Knoxville was arrested in March following an investigation concerning a child in his care. Investigators say the youth had not been allowed to leave the house for months, had received multiple injuries, and was staying in a room covered in plastic sheeting with Pull-Ups and wet underwear present. According to court documents filed this past August, a social worker visited the Wooldridges’ home and found a motion detector system that sounded an alarm and flashed lights whenever the child got out of bed. A baby gate was also installed on the child’s door and it is alleged that Rocky’s wife, Jennifer Wooldridge, would tie the gate shut.

Wooldridge was originally charged with child endangerment, child endangerment with serious injury and possession of a firearm as a felon. Jennifer Wooldridge, 43, was also arrested and charged with multiple acts of child endangerment, and neglect of a dependent person. In May, a felony charge of kidnapping was added for both Rocky and Jennifer Wooldridge. 

In September, Rocky Wooldridge agreed to plead guilty to two counts of child endangerment and two counts of neglect of a dependent person. 

On Thursday, Wooldridge received the maximum sentence of 10 years for each count. Three of the counts will run consecutively, with the fourth count running concurrently giving Wooldridge 30 years in prison. In addition, a no contact order has been extended for five years between Wooldridge and the minor. 

The September plea came in exchange for his wife’s charges being downgraded to one count of child endangerment without injury and she will receive a suspended sentence. Jennifer Wooldridge is scheduled to be sentenced on December 5th.