Chattanooga, TN – CPD Special Victims Unit Investigator Kayla Balinger was awarded the Commander’s Award for Excellence for her exceptional work on two high-profile cases involving child abuse and child rape.

Her tireless dedication and attention to detail during these lengthy investigations have contributed to making the community and its children safer.

In the La Casa De Sidney case, Inv. Balinger uncovered the abuse of four migrant children by adult females at a Health and Human Services (HHS) contracted facility in Chattanooga.

Through extensive collaboration with multiple agencies, her work led to the arrests of three suspects and the closure of the facility.

In another case, Inv. Balinger helped identify a male serial child rapist linked to 22 victims across five states.

Her investigation revealed thousands of disturbing images and videos, leading to an eight-count indictment and a 40-year prison sentence for the suspect.