A 30-year-old Carter County man is being held without bond after investigators say a cyber tip about a livestreamed incident led them to his residence and to an especially aggravated sexual exploitation charge. The arrest came days after the tip was reported, as investigators continue sorting through a case that began online but quickly moved into the local court system.
According to a Carter County Sheriff's Office post published Tuesday, officers received a cyber tip on July 31 reporting an ongoing incident and a livestream video that allegedly depicted a man sexually exploiting a minor. Investigators identified Pablo Altamirano Rodriguez, secured a search warrant and arrested him in Carter County on Saturday.
Search Warrant Leads To Arrest And Detention
The sheriff's office said Rodriguez resided on Cedar Grove Road and that investigators executed the search warrant at his home. He was transported to the Carter County Detention Center, where officials said he remains held without bond while awaiting a court appearance.
Under the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's statutory guide, especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor involves knowingly promoting, employing, using, assisting, transporting or permitting a minor to participate in the production of material involving sexual activity or patently offensive simulated sexual activity. The offense is classified as a Class B felony, and the law allows prosecutors to pursue separate counts for individual images, performances or other pictorial representations.
The sheriff's office said additional charges are pending and that the investigation remains ongoing. Rodriguez has been charged, not convicted, and the allegations will be tested through the court process; officials have not released identifying information about the minor.
Case Follows Earlier Carter County Digital Probe
The investigation is the latest child-exploitation case in Carter County to begin with an online tip and lead to a residential search. In January, a previous Carter County arrest followed information that alleged child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to a social-media account, with deputies seizing electronic storage devices during the investigation.
