The 30-year-old man accused of sexual exploitation of a minor appeared in General Sessions Court Tuesday morning for arraignment.
Eddie Pease appeared in front of General Sessions Judge Ryan J. Moore via Zoom on Tuesday. He is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor. He was arrested on Nov. 29.
Accord-ing to the warrant, on June 20, Pease committed the act of soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means. 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 was a joint effort from the TBI Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) squad, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department and the McMinnville Police Department. According to a press release by the TBI, 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 arraignment, Moore asked Pease if he would like an attorney to represent him. Pease shook his head indicating he did not want an attorney.
“Well, it is probably a good idea, sir, if you have an attorney represent you,” said Moore.
Pease entered a plea of not guilty and had a public defender appointed to represent him. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. Once Moore excused Pease, he questioned when he would be released from jail.
“When do I get out, though?” asked Pease.
“Sir, you come back to court on Dec. 19 for your preliminary hearing and in the meantime there may be a bond source hearing and another motion from the state to revoke bond,” said Moore.
His bond is set at $50,000. The investigation remains ongoing, according to the TBI. Anyone who may have had communication with the username “eddiepease722” on Snapchat, or on TikTok, as “Eddiefoodreviews,” ”Eddiepease2024” or “Eddie christiancookingshow” is asked to contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
