Authorities say a Buchanan man who went off the grid for weeks is now in a Henry County jail cell, after a multi‑agency investigation into alleged online sexual exploitation of minors ended with an arrest inside a Dover discount store.
Thomas Bradley Moore, 34, was taken into custody Monday in Dover after investigators reviewed digital evidence and secured arrest warrants. Prosecutors have charged him with nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and a judge set his bond at $200,000, according to officials.
Cyber tip on dark web activity sparked probe
According to the Henry County Sheriff's Office, ICAC investigators opened the case in January after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children sent in a CyberTip that flagged suspected activity on the dark web.
The sheriff's office says agents executed a search warrant on Feb. 13 at Moore's home on Perry Cemetery Road in Buchanan. He was not arrested that day. Instead, investigators seized devices, reviewed the contents, then pursued warrants once they had gone through the digital evidence.
The sheriff's release lists the TBI Cyber Crime Unit and the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force as assisting agencies in the investigation.
Deputies find suspect in Dover dollar store
Investigators eventually tracked Moore to a Dollar Store in Dover, where he was arrested without incident on Feb. 23, according to WSMV. He was then booked into Henry County Corrections, and a judge set his bond at $200,000, the outlet reports.
The sheriff’s office said Moore had been reported missing by several online sources while he was in hiding.
Nine counts under state child exploitation law
Prosecutors issued warrants alleging nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to WBBJ.
Tennessee law defines sexual exploitation of a minor under T.C.A. § 39‑17‑1003, and allows separate counts for each image or file. Penalties increase with the number of materials and can include prison time and mandatory sex‑offender registration, according to the Tennessee Code.
Court records and formal filings in Moore's case were not immediately available.
Investigators ask public for tips
The Henry County Sheriff's Office says its local ICAC team led the probe, with support from the TBI Cyber Crime Unit and the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. The agency is asking anyone with information to call 731‑642‑1672 and select Option #7.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children operates the CyberTipline for online reports of suspected child exploitation and related resources. For more on how to report digital exploitation, visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Officials said they are withholding additional details to protect victims' privacy while court proceedings are pending.
