TBI Reports 140% Increase In Child Exploitation Cases Across Tennessee

Image Credit: TBINewsroom.com

The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –

New data released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) shows that exploitation of children in Tennessee has increased exponentially within the last five years.

Right now, there are over 22,000 open cases of child exploitation across the state according to TBI.

That’s a 140% increase since the year 2020.

On Monday, TBI held a press conference to raise awareness, emphasize how vital it is for parents to monitor their children’s online activity, and to share information about the crisis faced by the Tennessee Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC).

“What we’re seeing most of all is online enticement of minors using social media apps,” Tennessee ICAC Commander Andrew Boatman said. “It’s so important that we continue that work, even as the increase comes, even as we face budget challenges because we stand as the only people who can get in between a sexual predator and a child.”

TBI Special Agent Robert Burghardt shared that in most cases, the offender says they will send a nude photograph if the child sends one first. 

According to Burghardt, the offender typically asks for the face of the child to be in the photograph.

Meanwhile, the offender will be collecting information from the child’s friends list or followers list off Instagram or whatever other social media platform is being utilized.

Many times, the offender will have the child switch over to another platform like Snapchat or KIK “to chat” so that they can get the child’s list of friends or followers from that platform as well.

“Once that child sends that nude photograph, that child then receives a screenshot of the nude photograph that they’ve just sent along with a list of all their friends. That can involve their teachers, family, priests, pastors, anybody,” Burghardt explained. “Then [the offender will] immediately say ‘hey, if you don’t send me more nude photographs of yourself or a gift card, then I’m gonna send this to everybody and they’re gonna know what you do online.’”

Burghardt encouraged those listening to the press conference to put themselves back at around twelve or thirteen years old and realize just how scary that situation would be.

“A lot of these kids…They’re not gonna run to their parents, which they should. They keep it to themselves,” he said.

Offenders in these situations are also encouraging children to kill themselves at an alarming rate.

“What we’re seeing a lot in the state of Tennessee and around the U.S. and the world, is these subjects on the other end literally tell these kids, ‘hey you have nothing else to live for so you might as well kill yourself because we know and your family’s gonna know exactly what you do on the internet,’” said Burghardt, “unfortunately some of these kids do choose that route.”

The ICAC program has 73 affiliated agencies across Tennessee.

According to Boatman, TBI is the ICAC chapter’s contract partner and lead affiliate.

Back in 2017 ICAC was only getting around 30 cases per month of child exploitation, about one case per day.

Currently, they are receiving over 100 cases a month.

There are currently four TBI agents working on cases across the entire state.

In order to better assist ICAC with the rise in cases, TBI hopes to increase staff numbers and plans on lobbying legislation to strengthen penalties against offenders.

About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.  You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.