On Friday, October 4, 2019, detectives assigned to the Cookeville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol served a search warrant at the residence of Jimmy Leonard (age 61) during an investigation related to sexual exploitation of a minor. Jimmy Leonard was investigated for soliciting a 14-year-old child living in Texas using various social media sites. As a result of the investigation, Mr. Leonard was transported to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and charged with two counts of solicitation of a minor by electronic means and soliciting a minor. He is being held on a $60,000 bond.
This investigation was a multi-agency effort. The Cookeville Police Department is dedicated to protecting children in our community. As a result, detectives work diligently on these investigations in an effort to ensure that individuals who choose to use the internet to target children are held accountable.
More details will be reported as they become available on www.uppercumberlandreporter.com