PICKETT COUNTY – An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) squad, the Pickett County Sheriff’s Office, and the office of the 13^th Judicial District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway has resulted in the arrest of a Pall Mall man, charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.

In April 2023, ICAC agents received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a cloud storage account containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During the course of the investigation, agents identified Wade Williams, a convicted sex offender, as the owner of the account. In July 2023, agents conducted a search warrant of Williams’ residence. They seized multiple electronic devices, which were analyzed and found to have more than 100 files of child sexual abuse material stored on them.

On November 22, 2024, agents and deputies arrested Wade Ellis Williams (DOB 06/20/1973) and charged him with Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. He was booked into the Pickett County Jail, on a $1,000,000 bond.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.