A 22-year-old Overton County man is facing a slate of felony charges after state and Virginia investigators say he paid minors for explicit images in an online child exploitation scheme that stretched across state lines. Authorities say they believe there are more victims and are asking anyone who had contact with certain social media accounts to speak up.
In a press release, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said special agents with its Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, working alongside the Fairfax County (Va.) Police Department obtained warrants charging Tristan Hicks with two counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and four counts of solicitation of a minor. Hicks was arrested and booked into the Overton County Jail, where his bond was set at $100,000, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Fairfax County detectives say the investigation started in May, when they received information that a minor had sent child sexual abuse material to an adult using TikTok and text messages. Investigators identified the accounts and the phone number involved, including a TikTok handle listed as @tristanhicks.2 and a Snapchat account under the name tristanhicks.2, as reported by WZTV/FOX17.
TBI agents say the case quickly widened, uncovering victims in the Cookeville area and in other states who allegedly sent explicit material in exchange for money. Livingston police assisted with the arrest, and the TBI says the investigation is still very much active. Officials are urging anyone who believes they may have communicated with those accounts or with Hicks directly to contact law enforcement so additional victims can be identified and supported.
How investigators say the case unfolded
According to investigators, Fairfax County detectives first tracked the digital exchanges to specific social media accounts and a phone number, then alerted Tennessee authorities after determining the suspected user lived in the state. The TBI’s ICAC unit took over from there and coordinated with local officers in Livingston to execute the arrest warrants, according to reporting by WZTV/FOX17.
Charges and the legal process
The charges against Hicks are formal accusations, not proof of guilt. Under the law, he is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors present evidence in court and a judge or jury finds otherwise. The case will move through the local criminal system, where prosecutors will finalize charging decisions and set the timing for arraignment and any future hearings while investigators continue to pursue new leads.
TBI ICAC workload and broader context
The TBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children program has reported a sharp rise in cyber tips and major cases across Tennessee in recent years, along with large seizures of digital evidence, a trend detailed in the unit’s annual report. That report also outlines prevention and outreach resources and explains how the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline is used to flag suspected online exploitation. The full ICAC annual report is available from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
