The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it needs help locating other potential victims of a serial child exploiter from east Tennessee.
Last week, a federal grand jury in Knoxville returned a three-count indictment against James Thompson, 71, of Lookout Mountain. The indictment alleges that Thompson transported minors across state lines with the intent of engaging in sexual activity back in 2000.
But the FBI believes that Thompson, who was a youth wrestling coach, has been exploiting minors since then, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
“Potential victims most likely include males who were between the ages of 10 and 15 and may have been involved in various youth wrestling programs or youth hunting organizations,” the release says, adding that anyone “who believes that they were victimized by Thompson, or anyone who may have information about potential victims fitting this description” should call the FBI field office in Chattanooga.
Thompson has ties to Jackson County, Alabama, and that county’s sheriff’s office assisted in the investigation.
Thompson is in custody pending his trial, which is scheduled to begin on August 12. He pleaded not guilty on the charges, and faces a minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted.
The investigation into Thompson was part of a federal level effort to combat child exploitation.
“This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse,” according to the release. “Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.”
The case bears resemblance to that of illegal alien Camilo Campos-Hurtado who lived for nearly 20 years in Franklin.
Campos-Hurtado is accused of using his position as a youth soccer coach to exploit young boys.
He was indicted earlier this year on four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, one count of using or possessing fraudulent immigration documents, and one count of possessing an identification document or authentication feature which was stolen or produced without lawful authority.
Similarly, authorities believe that there could be more victims of Campos-Hurtado’s abuse, and are asking for tips.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
Photo “James C. Thompson” by Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Who Can Trust the FBI? OR any three letter Federal agency? I really wish I could, but more & more, they seem to be in the cover-up business.
The FBI knows 85K plus unaccompanied minors crossed our Southern Border since Biden took office. There are FBI headquarters in all 50 States. Do they track these innocent children once they cross the border? Surely the Catholic Charities or other NGOs that we pay Billions of tax dollars to around the world, are assuming custody & placement of these minors? Wouldn’t that be the first logical places to look for Traffickers? Or are they covering for this disgusting industry? Shouldn’t our Congress call these folks in to testify under oath as to what is the Policy & Procedure when Unaccompanied Minors cross the Border?
We keep hearing Child Sex Trafficking is a multi-Billion dollar industry. Who is making the money?
I’m sorry I don’t buy that our Homeland Security, FBI or ICE, just don’t have a clue? What’s the old saying? FOLLOW THE MONEY, STUPID.
We taxpayers pay the salaries these so-called experts.
BRING THEM IN & ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE. SUBPOENA THE RIGHT DOCUMENTS.
But that’s not happening. More & more it looks like our Elected Employees are COMPROMISED. That’s a big part of the problem. f you can’t do the job we elected you to do, PLEASE DO AMERICA A FAVOR AND RESIGN.
You’re making it very hard for Republicans to justify voting you back in office, when all you do is NOTHING.
It can’t be that hard to track human beings if the Policies & Procedures are followed. Same goes for all the Young Chinese males being allowed to enter our Country. Where are they? Anyone tracking them?
HEY CONGRESS, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?
Take a look at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and find a few.