Elizabethton man charged with sexual exploitation of a minor

Published 9:01 am Tuesday, October 15, 2024

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An Elizabethton man faces a felony charge after a tip led to the discovery of child sex abuse material.

Investigators with the Carter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Steven Ray Odell, 36, of Elizabethton, on Friday and charged him with aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.

The charge against Odell is the result of an investigation that began when CCSO Inv. Preston White received a tip that an individual was distributing child sex abuse material through a cellphone application. Investigators were able to view the conversation through the cellphone app which contained multiple videos depicting a prepubescent female child engaging in sexual acts.

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Investigators were able to identify the individual sending the videos to the conversation in the cellphone app and identified Odell as the suspect. The Elizabethton Police Department aided in the investigation.

The investigation is ongoing at this time, and additional charges are pending.

Odell is currently being held at the Carter County Detention Center under a $50,000 bond.