A man has been arrested in Williamson County on child exploitation charges.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) reported on its Facebook page that its Internet Crime Against Children Task Force (ICAC) recently completed an investigation that resulted in the arrest of Williamson County resident Phillip Anderson, 50. Anderson is charged with four counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and three charges of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Anderson was released from the Williamson County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
The Williamson Source reports that Anderson is a resident of Franklin.
Williamson County Sheriff’s Office deputies, along with electronics detection K-9 Remi, executed a search warrant at Anderson’s home after receiving information that child sexual abuse material allegedly was being distributed via the internet, the WCSO said. This search warrant allegedly resulted in the seizure of numerous electronic devices, which WCSO-ICAC digital forensic examiners subsequently processed for evidence of child sexual exploitation material.
Anderson was allegedly found to be in possession of over 3,000 images and/or videos of child sexual abuse material, the WCSO said.
The WCSO-ICAC Task Force works daily to ensure the safety and security of children in the community. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has seen an approximately 300 percent rise in tips concerning online child sexual exploitation since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have a tip related to online child sexual exploitation, please submit this information online via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline, available here.Â
Information related to any other crimes can be submitted to the WCSO Tip411 line, available here, or contact Williamson County Crime Stoppers at 615-794-4000.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that in 2020, it assisted law enforcement and families with more than 29,800 cases of missing children.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
