Dozen people arrested in online sexual exploitation and sextortion scheme

(KBSI) – A dozen people have been put behind bars after they were identified in a massive child online sexual exploitation and sextortion scheme.

Between February to April, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation conducted Operation Protecting Tomorrow.

Its purpose was to identify and locate children who were victims of sextortion and online sexual exploitation and catch those who committed these crimes.

During the investigation, they located and identified 18 known child victims in Tennessee and one in Alabama.

“We are working at the federal level with our state representatives and senators on addressing the social media companies and their responsibility to monitor this space,” said David Rausch, director of TBI.

TBI says they are still trying to identify more victims found from this operation, and encourage people to come forward if they believe they’ve been exploited.

As for how you should approach your children, the TBI gives this advice.

“My two golden rules are don’t talk to anybody they’ve never talked to in real life and then don’t send anything that you wouldn’t send to your mother or grandmother,” said Rob Burghart, assistant special agent in charge of the TBI’s internet crimes division. “My boys know that they’re not allowed to chat with anybody. That’s one of the biggest things online. If you take the communication away, then that limits the exposure that bad guys, these predators have with our kids to reach out and start grooming.

If you believe you or your child has been sexually exploited, you’re encouraged to report it to your local police.

• John Vincent, 53, Murfreesboro: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (2 counts)
• Courtney Staggs, 29, Jamestown: Aggravated Rape of a Child (1 count), Aggravated Sexual Battery (1 count), Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (6 counts), Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (6 counts)
• Cody Wilson, 31, Columbia: Solicitation of a Minor (1 count), Soliciting Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Exploitation of a Minor by Electronic Means (1 count)
• Kyle Shaddon, 28, Paris: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (3 counts)
• Justin Farris, 41, Paris: Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (1 count), Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (1 count)
• Marcus Puryear, 47, Somerville: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (20 counts), Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (20 counts)
• Shawn Steven, 32, Decatur: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (5 counts)
• Cody Gunter, 29, Niota: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (1 count), Solicitation of a Minor (1 count)
• Johnathan Curtis, 32, McMinnville: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (1 count)
• Clifton Johnston, 38, McMinnville: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (1 count)
• Garry Alford, 42, McMinnville: Sexual Exploitation of Minor (1 count)
• Ernest Brown, 45, Paris: Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (6 counts), Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (2 counts)

More arrests may be forthcoming.

The following 19 agencies assisted the TBI in Operation Protecting Tomorrow: Athens Police Department, 9th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office (ICAC), 10th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, Maury County Sheriff’s Department, McMinn County Sheriff’s Department, McMinnville Police Department, Meigs County Sheriff’s Department, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department, Warren County Sheriff’s Department, Bowie County, Texas Sheriff’s Department (ICAC), Lansing, Illinois Police Department, Texarkana, Texas Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Homeland Security Investigations, United States Secret Service

The TBI has information about online dangers, sextortion and common-sense tips for the public at tn.gov/tbi. Parents and caregivers looking for resources aimed at helping children develop online safety skills should visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website, atnetsmartz.org.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is an ICAC affiliate of the Tennessee ICAC Task Force.

Anyone with information about these cases or other cases of online child exploitation is asked to contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Tipline at 1-800-TBI-FIND, TipsToTBI@tbi.tn.gov, or report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org.