Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) – A Knoxville man has been arrested on multiple charges following an investigation into the online exploitation of children, according to the Knoxville Police Department.
On Aug. 28, members of the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) and Special Operations Squad executed a search warrant at a residence on Gleason Drive in Knoxville.
The search warrant stemmed from an ongoing investigation after ICAC detectives received several CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators said the tips contained information related to the exchange of child sexual abuse material and inappropriate online communications involving children.
During the investigation, detectives identified the suspect as Yaac Pekle Mendez, 33, of Knoxville.
Authorities said evidence was recovered during the search of the residence, and Mendez was taken into custody at the scene.
Mendez was charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and booked into the Knox County Detention Facility.
The Knoxville Police Department serves as the lead agency for the Tennessee Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes 80 state, local and federal law enforcement agencies working together to investigate technology-facilitated crimes involving the exploitation of children.
The investigation remains ongoing.
