LAUDERDALE COUNTY – A TBI investigation involving agents with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office has resulted in the indictment and arrest of a Lauderdale County man.

In August, TBI agents received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and statutory rape.  During the course of the investigation, agents learned that Johnathan Graves (DOB 09/03/2004) sexually exploited and abused a minor between November 2024 and August 2025.

On October 6^th, the Lauderdale County Grand Jury indicted Graves, charging him with five counts of Statutory Rape, five counts of Especially Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, one count of Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Graves was subsequently arrested and booked into the Lauderdale County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is an ICAC affiliate of the Tennessee ICAC Task Force. Anyone with information about these cases or other cases of online child exploitation should contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Tipline at 1-800-TBI-FIND, TipsToTBI@tbi.tn.gov, or report via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Cyber Tipline at CyberTipline.org.

The TBI has information about online dangers, sextortion, and common-sense tips for the public on its website, at www.tn.gov/tbi. Parents and caregivers looking for resources aimed at helping children develop online safety skills should visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website, at www.netsmartz.org.