Eddie Pease had his bond increased to $100,000 after a preliminary hearing on Tuesday. 

Pease is charged with soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor. He was arrested after communicating with an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old on the messaging app KIK. Pease appeared in General Sessions Court in front of Judge Ryan J. Moore on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. The first person called to testify was Special Agent Criminal Investigator for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Kevin Starr. 

Assistant District Attorney Daniel Barnes asked Starr how he first came into contact with Pease. 

“At the end of June, a cyber tip was received through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning a conversation that occurred on the messaging app KIK where Mr. Pease was engaging in a sexual conversation with what he believed to be at the time a 14-year-old,” said Starr.

Starr said Pease believed he was speaking to a 14-year-old who was actually a detective operating in an undercover capacity out of the state of Florida, Det. Chris George. Starr testified that the detective was able to get enough information to determine Pease was from Warren County and Pease sent a photo of himself. 

“You mention there was a sexually explicit conversation. Can you be a little more specific?” asked Barnes.

Starr testified that Pease made multiple statements in the conversations asking if the 14-year-old’s penis was erect and if he would have sex with him if he was there. Starr also said Pease asked if the 14-year-old ejaculated a lot. 

“How is it that you know he believed this to be a 14-year-old?” asked Barnes. 

“In the chats, the undercover detective clearly identified that he was 14,” said Starr. 

“Did he say that more than once?” asked Barnes. 

“I believe just once,” said Starr. 

Barnes asked if Pease admitted anything when he was interviewed. 

“When confronted with the screenshots of this conversation while speaking to Mr. Pease, he continued to say, ‘I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,’” said Starr. 

Starr showed Pease screenshots from a screen recording of the messages sent by Det. George from Florida while interviewing him. The interview reportedly took place outside of Pease’s residence. 

“I did ask Mr. Pease if he could explain what he was sorry for and he could not answer those questions,” said Starr. 

Rick Stacy with the Public Defender’s Office asked how the undercover agent came into contact with Pease.  

“He had been operating multiple times in an undercover capacity using the messaging application KIK and had frequently been into chatrooms where who he believed to be Mr. Pease was a moderator of these chatrooms or an administrator where young minors were enticed and encouraged to create child sex abuse material,” said Starr. 

Stacy asked if the TBI has obtained all the records from that KIK account. Starr said he attempted to serve KIK with a subpoena, but there was an issue with the law enforcement portals at the time. Starr said he created his own KIK account and discovered Pease’s account, Music224, no longer existed. The records from the account have not yet been obtained by the TBI. 

Stacy asked if Starr has done anything to obtain the records from the undercover account. Starr said the detective just sent him a screenshot of his username and a screen recording of the messages between him and Pease’s account. Stacy questioned if he had obtained a search warrant or subpoena for the chats and Starr said he did not. 

“You don’t think that is worth investigating. Is that right?” asked Stacy.

“I believe it is. I have the screen recording of the chat logs,” said Starr. 

Stacy asked if Starr had interviewed the undercover agent about prior conversations he may have had with Pease and Starr said he indicated this was the only conversation. 

“Do you know that for sure?” asked Stacy.

“Without having the account, I would not be able to say for certain,” said Starr.

“Because you haven’t investigated it, right?” said Stacy. 

“Correct,” said Starr. “I have no reason to believe any other conversations have occurred.”

Stacy then mentioned there was never a minor actually involved in the messages with Pease. 

“Just to be clear, there was never really actually any juvenile involved here?” asked Stacy. 

“Correct,” said Starr. 

Stacy then asked if Pease ever requested videos or photos of sexual activity or requested to meet up and engage in sexual activity. Starr said Pease did not. The alleged chatrooms were brought up again. Stacy questioned how they knew Pease was a moderator or even in the chatrooms. 

“You say these are chatrooms that are basically dedicated to discussions of sexual activity with juveniles?” asked Stacy. 

“Yes,” said Starr. 

“You say that Mr. Pease appears to be a moderator?” asked Stacy.

“That is what detective George believed during his time undercover with Mr. Pease. However, I have not interacted with Mr. Pease in that regard or have any evidence,” said Starr. 

“Have you investigated that at all yourself?” asked Stacy. 

Starr said he has not investigated it. 

“You haven’t done any investigation on these chatrooms where this activity just goes on out in the open?” asked Stacy.  

“In regards to Eddie Pease, no,” said Starr. 

Following Starr’s testimony, Stacy stated they had doubts that what happened was a crime under the offense of soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means (39-13-529). 

“Not to say this is a good situation at all, but the proof came in a lot less than what I thought they were going to testify to,” said Stacy. 

Stacy stated there was no sexual activity as defined by the statute. Barnes argued that asking about ejaculation falls under Section 8 subsection F. of 39-17-1002 stating: “’Sexual activity’ means any of the following acts: patently offensive, as determined by contemporary community standards, conduct, representations, depictions or descriptions of excretory functions.” Barnes also requested Pease’s bond be increased. 

“I do find the state has made its burden for probably cause, under the offense of 39-19-529, soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means. Talking about body parts being hard and wanting to perform sexual acts and what Mr. Barnes said regarding bodily functions,” said Judge Moore. 

Moore increased Pease’s bond to $100,000 and bound his case to the grand jury.