Winner of Netflix present Outlast is charged with youngster rape and sexual battery
A reality TV champion once celebrated for surviving the brutal Alaskan wilderness has been arrested in Tennessee on multiple sex crime charges.
Paul Preece Jr., who won the first season of Netflix‘s Outlast, was busted for the alleged rape of a child.
The 51-year-old was taken into custody on Friday and booked into the Knox County Jail.
Preece has also been charged with aggravated sexual battery, and attempted rape of a child with his bond has been set at $150,000.
The age of the victim was not immediately available.
Preece rose to prominence after competing on the inaugural season of Outlast in 2023, a survival competition produced for Netflix.
Paul Preece Jr., winner of Season 1 of Outlast, was arrested March 6 in Tennessee on multiple felony sex charges
Knox County jail records show he is charged with rape of a child, aggravated sexual battery, and attempted rape of a child. He is being held at Knox County Jail on a $150,000 bond
The series drops contestants into remote Alaskan terrain during punishing fall weather, challenging them to endure isolation, scarce resources and brutal natural elements for a chance at a $1 million prize.
Sixteen participants began the competition, arriving by parachute into the wilderness before splitting into four teams to establish separate base locations.
The format demanded cooperation, with contestants were prohibited from competing alone.
Teams could be reduced to as few as two members, and alliances could shift freely.
Paul Preece Jr. won Season 1 of Outlast as part of the victorious three-person team that outlasted all other competitors in the Alaskan wilderness challenge
Preece won the inaugural season with the series later renewed for a third season in 2025
Paul Preece, Jr. is seen on the Netflix show Outlast
Preece, far right, is seen celebrating with his teammates Nick Radner, left, Seth Lueker, center
Outlast, produced for Netflix, debuted in 2023 as a team-based wilderness survival competition set in remote Alaska. The show drops 16 contestants into harsh terrain, requiring them to form teams, build camps, and endure extreme conditions for a $1 million prize
Unlike many reality competitions, there were no eliminations by vote – only voluntary departures. Survival depended on endurance, cohesion and strategy.
Preece ultimately won the season alongside teammates Seth Lueker and Nick Radner, securing the seven-figure prize and the show’s first championship title.
The series continued beyond its debut, with a third season renewal announced in February 2025.
