FENTRESS COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Sparta man has been charged with violation of the sex offender registry, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

TBI agents received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in July about child sexual abuse material being distributed on the social media platform Kik.

Investigators determined the account belonged to 59-year-old Joel Merriel, who is a registered sex offender in Fentress County, according to the TBI.

Merriel was taken into custody by TBI agents and deputies from the Fentress County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday. He was charged with one count of violation of the sex offender registry. Merriel was booked into the Fentress County jail on a $100,000 bond and has since been released.

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