A Virginia man faces more than 50 felony charges after an investigation that began when the mother of a 15-year-old Mississippi girl reported concerns about her daughter’s online communications.
Detectives with the Horn Lake Police Department contacted investigators in Bristol, Virginia, on June 15 after determining the girl had been communicating through Discord with a 29-year-old man from Bristol.
Bristol police obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s residence and electronic devices. Officers executed the warrant June 15 at a home in the 1500 block of Overhill Road.
Investigators later obtained additional warrants for electronic data, including text messages, photographs, phone records and Discord communications from two desktop computers and a cellphone.
William Tollie, 29, of Bristol, was arrested and initially charged with felony possession of child pornography, felony solicitation of a child between the ages of 15 and 17, and felony use of a computer to commit certain sex offenses.
He was taken to the Abingdon Facility of the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority and held without bond.
As the investigation continued, Bristol detectives worked with the Virginia State Police High Tech Crimes Unit to examine the seized devices. Authorities said more than 8,000 images of child pornography were recovered from one of the desktop computers.
On July 1, detectives obtained 50 additional felony warrants charging Tollie with possession of child pornography.
Tollie remained jailed without bond, and investigators said additional charges are possible as the review of digital evidence continues.
Bristol police credited the Horn Lake Police Department and the Virginia State Police High Tech Crimes Unit for assisting with the investigation.
