KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - On Monday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released staggering numbers regarding child exploitation in Tennessee.

Related Coverage: Tennessee child exploitation cases increase to ‘monumental’ degree, TBI says

Here in East Tennessee, advocacy groups are seeing that same jump.

“We’ve already received more reports in 2025 than we did in all of 2024, with more than three months still remaining in the year,” Youth Services Director at the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking (CCAHT) Hannah Brinson said.

Tennessee’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit said the increase is largely because of the rise in social media usage.

Many parents rely on parental controls, but other groups said that is not the best way.

“What we want to stress to

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