A man from Roan Mountain is now in custody after a detailed investigation into child exploitation led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office. The case stemmed from concerning allegations involving the exchange of explicit material between a minor and an adult on social media. With both agencies collaborating closely, the probe underscores the growing role of digital evidence in uncovering online crimes involving children.
The investigation began in February when law enforcement received a troubling report: a 9-year-old child had allegedly sent explicit images to an adult man through Snapchat. TBI’s Cybercrime and Digital Evidence Unit teamed up with local detectives in Weakley County to dig deeper into the disturbing case. Their inquiry quickly led them to a suspect — Hunter Chase Ellison, a 22-year-old from Roan Mountain, who was identified as the owner of the implicated Snapchat account.
As the case developed, authorities gathered enough evidence to secure arrest warrants for Ellison. He now faces serious charges, including Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Solicitation of a Minor through electronic communication. These charges reflect the severity of the alleged actions, particularly given the extremely young age of the victim and the digital nature of the offense.
At the time the investigation unfolded, Ellison held a position as a corrections officer at the Northeast Correctional Complex in Mountain City. His employment in a law enforcement environment adds a particularly unsettling element to the case, raising concerns about the trust placed in those who serve in roles of authority. Law enforcement officials from Johnson County and the Tennessee Department of Correction played a key role in executing the arrest without incident.
Ellison was taken into custody at his workplace and is currently being detained at the Johnson County Jail. His arrest marks a critical step in the broader effort to combat child exploitation and protect vulnerable individuals from online predators. The case remains under investigation as authorities continue their work to uncover the full extent of the incident.
