SEQUATCHIE COUNTY – A TBI Investigation involving agents with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force has resulted in the arrest of a Sequatchie County Man, charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.

In May, TBI agents began investigating a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child sexual abuse material (CSAM). During the course of the investigation, agents learned that Richard Cooper (DOB 11/04/1952) uploaded CSAM onto Microsoft’s Bing Image Service.

This week, as a result of the investigation, TBI agents, the Dunlap Police Department, the 12th Judicial District Drug Task Force, and the FBI executed a search warrant at Cooper’s residence. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

Cooper was booked into the Sequatchie County Jail, where he is currently being held without 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.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is an ICAC affiliate of the Tennessee ICAC Task Force. Anyone with information about these cases or other cases of online child exploitation should contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Tipline at 1-800-TBI-FIND, [email protected], or report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline at CyberTipline.org.

The TBI has information about online dangers, sextortion, and common-sense tips for the public on its website, at www.tn.gov/tbi. Parents and caregivers looking for resources aimed at helping children develop online safety skills should visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website, at www.netsmartz.org.