Knoxville man charged with child exploitation after home raid, police say

What This Story Is About

• The arrest followed an investigation prompted by NCMEC Cybertips regarding online child sexual abuse material.

Why It Matters

• Technology-facilitated crimes against children are a high-priority threat, and local coordination through the ICAC Task Force allows regional agencies to track down and prosecute digital offenders.

What Happens Next

• Mendez is being held at the Knox County Detention Facility as the criminal case proceeds.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A 33-year-old Knoxville man was arrested Friday following a child exploitation investigation at a home on Gleason Drive, according to the Knoxville police department.

Yaac Pekle Mendez, 33, was taken into custody by members of the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit and the Special Operations Squad.

Mendez has been charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

According to KPD, the ICAC unit received multiple Cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tips contained information on the exchange of child sexual abuse material and inappropriate communications with children across several online platforms.

Detectives identified Mendez as the suspect during their investigation.

Officers recovered evidence from the Gleason Drive home during the search warrant operation, KPD said. Mendez was taken into custody and booked into the Knox County Detention Facility.

The Knoxville Police Department serves as the lead agency for the Tennessee Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, partnering with 80 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children.