Dandridge man charged with sexual exploitation of minor after Snapchat investigation

An extensive two-month investigation conducted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has resulted in the arrest of William “Nick” Eden, a 39-year-old Dandridge man, on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. As reported by WVLT, Eden is facing 20 counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of solicitation of a minor to observe sexual conduct.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation was initiated based on exchanges that took place on the social media platform Snapchat. Detective Heather Sharp’s work was instrumental in gathering evidence against Eden. Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Coffey stressed the importance of parental vigilance on social media, saying, “So take the initiative and monitor your children’s use of these platforms before they too become victims,” ​​as reported by WATE. However, the sheriff also acknowledged the misleading opportunities these platforms provide to exploit unsuspecting people.

Eden, whose arrest was detailed in a WATE article, is currently being held at the Jefferson County Detention Center, with bail set at an impressive $1 million. The same source noted the alleged location of his crimes: Snapchat, a platform where users can easily remain anonymous.

Coffey reiterated his call to parents in a Facebook post referenced in WBIR’s report, urging them to “monitor what their children are doing, especially on social media.”