Man charged in string of Tennessee church arsons

A Tennessee man has been arrested and charged for a string of church arsons around the state, according to the Department of Justice.

The Justice Department said in a news release on Wednesday that it has charged Nashville native Alan Douglas Fox for civil rights violations related to four separate arson incidents. 

Fox allegedly set fires to Crievewood United Methodist Church, Crievewood Baptist Church, Saint Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church and Priest Lake Community Baptist Church throughout June 2019. 

Authorities believe that Fox committed these arsons due to the “religious character of the churches,” according to the news release. 

This comes as authorities also accused Fox of using a firearm during the Crievewood Baptist Church arson. 

If convicted, Fox, 28, could face up to 20 years in prison for each committed arson and five years for a firearm violation, the news release said.