KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A previously convicted sex offender was found guilty of multiple charges involving the sexual abuse of minors according to the Department of Justice.

The DOJ says Mark Deakins, 63, of Chattanooga was convicted in district court of sexual abuse of a child, using children to produce child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material.

In 2021, the FBI was looking for victims of Deakins that he was suspected to have victimized, photographed, or filmed throughout the southeast from the 1990s through June 2021.

During the trial, evidence was presented showing that Deakins raped and sexually assaulted teen and pre-teen boys from 1995 to 2018 in various locations in the Chattanooga area. The DOJ says he transported one victim across state lines for sexual exploitation and abuse.

Deakins had thousands of child sex abuse videos and images, the DOJ said. When his home and computers were searched, the DOJ says law enforcement found the content and thousands of images of other child sexual abuse material from all over the world.

“The defendant’s conduct was egregious. He preyed on young boys desperate for a male role model. I am thankful for the collaborative effort and hard work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and our prosecutors for seeking justice in this appalling case,” United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III said.

Deakin’s sentencing is set for September 28, 2023. The DOJ said he is facing a mandatory minimum of 45 years in prison up to a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Red Bank Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.