DEKALB COUNTY – A joint investigation with detectives with the DeKalb County sheriff’s Department, special agents with the TBI Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) squad and investigators with the Office of the 13th Judicial District Attorney General has resulted in the arrest of a California man.
In June, law enforcement officers learned that an individual had been in contact with a seven-year old DeKalb County child via an encrypted messaging app called “Zangi”, and cell phone communication. The user had the victim send him nude pictures of herself and he in turn sent photos of his exposed private parts to her. During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that identified the account as belonging to an individual in Moreno Valley, California. With the assistance from the Riverside County (CA) Child Exploitation Team, information was obtained that identified Nathan Corona as the owner of that account.
On November 19th, the DeKalb County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Nathan Corona (DOB 02/07/2006) with one count of Exploitation of a Minor Under the Age of 13 and one count of Soliciting Sexual Exploitation from a Minor. Corona was extradited to DeKalb County and on December 9th was booked into the jail on a $200,000 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.
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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) CyberTipline 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.