FENTRESS COUNTY – Special agents assigned to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force have arrested and charged a Jamestown man with violating the Sex Offender Registry.

In July, agents received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, concerning child sexual abuse material being distributed on Kik. Investigators determined the account belonged to Joel Merriel (DOB 6/21/1966) who is a registered sex offender in Fentress County.

On Wednesday, agents, with the help of deputies from the Fentress County Sheriff’s Department, arrested Merriel and charged him with one count of Violation of the Sex Offender Registry. He was booked into the Fentress County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Merriel subsequently bonded out of jail. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about this case should contact 1-800-TBI-FIND.

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.

Parents seeking additional information about cybercrime, child exploitation, and how best to safeguard their loved ones can visit http://www.NetSmartz.org for a variety of topical, age-appropriate resources.

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.