The case of a local man who attempted an online sexual liaison with a person he believed to be underage was closed Tuesday afternoon.

Eddie Dwight Pease entered a plea agreement in front of Judge Bart Stanley during Wednesday’s Circuit Court session, closing a case which began with a TBI investigation in the summer of 2023.

As part of the agreement between the Public Defender’s office, which represented the 31-year-old defendant, and the 31st Judicial District Attorney General’s office, Pease was sentenced to six years as a Range I offender, and ordered to serve 270 days for the amended charge of attempted exploitation of a minor by electronic means. He must also register as a sex offender.

Pease, who was originally arrested late last year, was credited the full 270 days served, and was released from Warren County Jail late Tuesday. Pease’s second charge, solicitation of a minor, was dismissed as part of the plea agreement, settling all of his matters before the court.

Pease was arrested on Nov. 29, 2023. According to the warrant issued at that time, on June 20, he reportedly had a conversation on the messaging application, “KIK” where he solicited sexual activity with a minor he believed to be 14 years old.

The investigation into Pease included the TBI Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) squad, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the McMinnville Police Department. According to a press release issued by the TBI at the time, ICAC agents received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning a user of a messaging app who was engaging in sexual conversations with minors. During this investigation, the user was identified as Pease. The investigation further revealed Pease reportedly engaged in this behavior on various social media platforms.

During his preliminary hearing, Special Agent Criminal Investigator for the TBI Kevin Starr testified Pease was speaking in a sexual manner to a detective operating undercover who he believed to be 14 years old, sending the case to the Warren County Grand Jury, who indicted Pease in December.

The indictment stated, “on or about the 20th day of June 2023, in Warren County, Tennessee, and before the finding of this indictment, being over the age of 18, by means of oral, written or electronic communication, electronic mail or Internet service, including webcam communications, directly or through another, did intentionally command, hire, persuade, induce or cause a minor to engage in sexual activity or simulated sexual activity that is patently offensive where such sexual activity or simulated sexual activity is observed by that person or by another, constituting the offense of sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means.”

Pease will spend the rest of his six-year sentence on supervised probation.