Christian Matthews
A Marion County man has been arrested after authorities said he came to Chattanooga to have sex with a minor he met on Facebook.
Detectives with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division on Wednesday arrested Christian Matthews, 27.
They said after he initiated contact with the minor on the Internet, he requested a meeting to engage in sex acts.
The minor's mother reported the information to law enforcement, at which time Detective David Ashburn was assigned the investigation.
Authorities said, "The suspect continued the discussions of sex and traveled to Chattanooga with the intent to meet the minor to have sex. The suspect was arrested without incident upon his arrival at the undisclosed location and charged with solicitation of a minor to commit aggravated statutory rape."
Detective Ashburn, who is part of the Tennessee Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force, said, "These type of cases are common and on the rise. We encourage all parents to monitor their children’s and teens' Internet use. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office works closely with the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office to ensure cases involving those who prey on children, are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."