The man arrested by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) following a cyber tip alleging he sexually abused a minor while live streaming himself to social media is an illegal alien from Mexico who entered the United States under former President Joe Biden, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The sheriff’s office announced the arrest of Pablo Altamirano Rodriguez, 30, last week, when he was charged with especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to the northeast Tennessee sheriff’s office, law enforcement began investigating Rodriguez (pictured above) after receiving a tip on July 31 reporting an “ongoing incident,” which included, “a live stream video broadcast from a social media account depicting a man sexually exploiting a minor child.”
The ICE Enforcement and Removal Office in New Orleans, which enforces federal immigration laws in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, confirmed Rodriguez entered the United States illegally in a Tuesday statement.
“ICE lodged a detainer with Carter County officials for Pablo Altamirano-Rodriguez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico,” the agency reported in a post to X.
According to ICE, Rodriguez “illegally entered the United States in 2023 without inspection under the Biden ‘catch and release’ era.”
ICE lodged a detainer with Carter County officials for Pablo Altamirano-Rodriguez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico.
He illegally entered the United States in 2023 without inspection under the Biden “catch and release” era.https://t.co/Prc8JjYHDl— ICE New Orleans (@ERONewOrleans) August 11, 2026
Inmate records maintained publicly by the sheriff’s office confirm Rodriguez was booked on August 2 and charged with especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. He also received charges related to pornography and obscene material.
The Biden administration policy invoked by ICE saw U.S. Border Patrol release illegal border crossers into the interior of the country, rather than detaining them until their trial date, under the administration’s “alternatives to detention” strategy. These alternatives included federal monitoring and regular check-ins.
A state report submitted in January by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference revealed there were 11,344 reports of illegal aliens who were charged or convicted of a crime in the Volunteer State last year.
Of these cases, at least 11 involved allegations of the rape of a child, three involved allegations of the continuous sexual abuse of a child, nine involved allegations of sexual contact with a minor, and nine involved allegations of sexual exploitation of a minor.
ICE reported earlier this year that 117 illegal aliens were detained during a week-long operation in East Tennessee. Last year, the agency reported nearly 200 illegal aliens were detained following a joint operation between ICE and Tennessee Highway Patrol in Nashville.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
