NASHVILLE, TN — A push is building in Tennessee to create what supporters are calling “Nevaeh’s Law,” a proposal aimed at keeping more convicted child abusers away from children. The effort followed the death of an infant in North Nashville and renewed attention on a gap in state law that can leave some offenders without the same restrictions placed on sex offenders.
Nevaeh’s father, Edward Wagner, is working with state Sen. Mark Pody on the proposal. Wagner said he wants the measure named after his daughter, and both men say they hope to turn the idea into legislation that would better protect children from repeat abusers.
How the case exposed a gap in Tennessee law
FOX 17 News reported that Tennessee law does not universally restrict child abusers who were not convicted of sexual offenses from being around children. That distinction became central after the death of Wagner’s infant daughter and the criminal history of the man police say hurt her.
In the case, Metro Police said repeat convicted child abuser Bobby Conner Jr. allegedly injured Nevaeh on 24th Avenue near Santi Avenue. Officers said the infant was taken to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, where she later died. The case has become a symbol for Wagner of a legal problem he believes should have been addressed before his daughter’s death.
Wagner says he warned child welfare officials before the tragedy
Wagner said he had already alerted the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services about Conner being around Nevaeh. He argued that the warning should have triggered stronger action, but DCS told him that criminal history alone does not necessarily give the department legal grounds to restrict contact between a person and a child.
That answer left Wagner frustrated and convinced that Tennessee needs a clearer rule. He said the existing system did not offer enough protection when the concern involved a person with a history of physically abusing children rather than a sex offense.
The dispute has put a spotlight on how child protection decisions are handled when a criminal record is serious, but does not fit the categories that automatically trigger the strongest restrictions.
Sen. Mark Pody backs a registry-style approach
Pody said he wants the law changed and suggested one possible approach would be a minimum registry period, such as 10 years. He said people convicted of physically abusing children should face stronger safeguards so they are not able to move freely around children without consequences.
Pody and Wagner both told FOX 17 News that the goal is not just to respond to one family’s loss, but to prevent another one. They want the proposal to create meaningful barriers for repeat offenders and give law enforcement or state officials better tools to keep children safe.
Wagner said the idea is still taking shape, but he believes the law could have real value for other families even though it cannot change what happened to Nevaeh.
A father’s grief is now tied to a public policy fight
Wagner said nothing can bring his daughter back, but he wants her name attached to a law that could help other children. He said Nevaeh would have “loved” the idea, while acknowledging that the proposal is really about preventing future harm.
His comments underscored the personal side of the campaign. The push for reform is emerging from a family’s loss, but it is also becoming a broader call for lawmakers to close what supporters describe as a dangerous loophole in Tennessee’s child protection rules.
For Wagner, the measure represents a way to turn grief into action, even if the legislative path still has to be written.
What happens next for Nevaeh’s Law
Wagner and Pody still need to work out the details and put the proposal into legislation. At this stage, the effort is a concept backed by a grieving father and a state senator rather than a filed bill with specific legal language.
Even so, the push has already drawn attention because of the case that prompted it and the question it raises about how Tennessee handles convicted child abusers. Supporters say any final version would need to be clear enough to keep dangerous offenders away from children while fitting within state law.
For now, the campaign is centered on a single goal: making sure Nevaeh’s death leads to changes that could protect other children in Tennessee.
What Tennessee officials have not resolved yet
The proposal still faces the ordinary work of drafting, refining, and presenting legislation. Wagner and Pody have not yet released final details, and the exact scope of any registry or restriction system remains open.
That uncertainty matters because the case has raised questions about what state agencies can do when a person has a documented history of abuse but not a qualifying sex offense. Supporters of the effort say the law should remove ambiguity; they want a framework that gives officials clearer authority and families more confidence that warnings will be acted on.
Until those details are written down, Nevaeh’s Law remains an idea shaped by one family’s loss and a growing belief that Tennessee should do more to protect children from repeat abusers.
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