SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A former Washington County deputy has been indicted following a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation cybercrime investigation.
The TBI said agents began investigating in September after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about multiple files containing child sexual abuse material being distributed through accounts on X, Discord and Snapchat.
During the investigation, agents identified Jacob Byrd, 27, as the user of the accounts, according to the TBI. Byrd was employed by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at the time.
Agents later executed a search warrant at Byrd’s home in Sullivan County and seized numerous electronics. The TBI said Byrd was terminated from the sheriff’s office when the allegations surfaced.
This week, a Sullivan County grand jury returned indictments charging Byrd with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor involving more than 100 images. He turned himself in Friday morning and was booked into the Sullivan County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
Officials encouraged anyone with information related to online child exploitation to contact the TBI Tipline at 1-800-TBI-FIND or submit a report through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline.
The TBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit investigates cases involving the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material across Tennessee. The agency said the number of cases assigned to the unit increased from 957 in 2024 to more than 1,500 in 2025.
Parents and guardians can learn more about online safety and child protection resources here.
Here’s a story offering a great example of how a common cause, and a little creativity, can “intersect” to improve quality of life. Our South Nashville reporter Patsy Montesinos shares how some neighbors decided to take action, following the tragic death of a 77-year-old in a hit-and-run along Antioch Pike earlier this year. See how they used “tactical urbanism” to make the area a little safer for all.
- Rhori Johnston
