NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Reported sexual abuse cases have risen across the U.S.
The federal government has tracked a nearly 20% increase since 2019, and in Middle Tennessee, law enforcement has been working to tackle the problem head-on.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment out of Middle Tennessee for a Texas physician, who now faces child sexual exploitation charges.
Investigators discovered 34-year-old Philip Taylor Sobash engaged in an online sexual relationship with a minor who lived in Middle Tennessee. After receiving sexually explicit photos, Sobash was accused of selling the images online as part of a larger collection that featured 70 young women and children.
"Kids are not your product. Kids are not your profit source and we are going to protect them in the virtual space," Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said.
Sobash's arrest came on the heels of Tennessee lawmakers pushing for more protection when it comes to online safety for kids. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) the "Child Victim Identification Program" has reviewed more than 425 million images and videos.
Legislation introduced by Blackburn would create new regulations over what social media shows children and how tech companies use children's data.
"You know as well as I do with technology out there, with the use of social media and apps and games that you can do online, it really exploits children," explained Captain Scott Moore with the Wilson County Sheriff's Office.
Children sometimes play games against other live people on a television, a phone or a tablet. However, they may not always know who they are connecting with.
"We've seen cases of sextortion — cases where children have used games, such as Roblox, where it can be a fun and creative space for children, but at the same time it does not really prevent other people from sending inappropriate materials to each other," Moore said.
But it's not just a problem in Wilson County; it's happened in counties across Middle Tennessee.
This week, the Metro Nashville Police Department arrested 23-year-old Turmier Beach after receiving a cybertip from the NCMEC. Beach was identified as a suspect who uploaded images of child sexual abuse across multiple social media platforms all from his home internet.
NCMEC also provides information for survivors who want to take quick action if they are made aware of their images or videos online. Learn how to contact the internet service providers to report files circulating online.