Overton Man Arrested on Charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

OVERTON COUNTY – A TBI investigation involving agents with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit and the Fairfax County Virginia Police Department, has resulted in the arrest of an Overton County man.

In May, the Fairfax County Police Department received information about a minor sending child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to an adult male via TikTok and text message. Detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department began investigating and identified Tristan Hicks (DOB 07/21/2003) as the user of the account and phone number. TBI ICAC agents were notified and requested to take over the investigation due to Hicks residing in Tennessee. During the investigation, agents found that Hicks had numerous victims in the Cookeville area and across the country who had sent CSAM to Hicks in exchange for monetary payments.

This week, agents obtained an arrest warrant charging Hicks with two counts of Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and four counts of Solicitation of a Minor. Hicks was taken into custody with assistance from the Livingston Police Department and booked into the Overton County Jail. His bond has been set at $100,000.

This investigation remains active and ongoing.

Anyone who may have been in contact with Hicks, or someone using the TikTok account tristanhicks.2, or the Snapchat account tristanhicks.2 is encouraged to contact TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

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, TipsToTBI@tbi.tn.gov, 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.

ABOUT THE TBI ICAC SQUAD:

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Squad is comprised of four dedicated special agents who investigate cases throughout Tennessee involving the production and distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), as well as other sex crimes. In 2024, agents were assigned 957 cases. In 2025, that number rose to more than 1,500, reflecting a significant and troubling increase in crimes targeting children. With the rapid growth in reported victimization and a limited number of agents assigned to these investigations, the need for public education and awareness has never been greater. To learn more about how to protect children, visit Cybercrime.