A 19-year-old from Illinois has been charged following an investigation in Hendersonville, Tennessee, into sexual exploitation of minors

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A young man from Illinois in Middle Tennessee is facing multiple charges related to child sex crimes.

The Hendersonville Police Department said it has opened an investigation into 19-year-old Matthew Moklak on suspicion of sexual abuse of a minor. This investigation led to U.S. federal authorities executing arrest warrants on Thursday, June 20, at Moklak’s home in Villa Park, Illinois, with some assistance from the Villa Park Police Department.

According to authorities, the charges against Moklak include 20 counts of especially aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of solicitation of a minor and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child.

On Wednesday, June 26, police announced that Moklak is currently being extradited to Sumner County.

“The Hendersonville Police Department encourages parents to closely monitor how their children use social media platforms and other methods of communication,” officials said in a statement. “This is due to the growing trend of sex offenders using social media and phone apps to lure minors into illegal activities.”

No additional details were provided about the circumstances of the crimes that led to Moklak’s arrest.

If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the Hendersonville Police Department at 615-822-1111 or Hendersonville Crime Stoppers at 615-594-4113.