TOPICS: Cookeville Erich Lee Begley Child sex abuse Minors Continuous Sexual Abuse Sexual Battery Investigation Upper Cumberland Child Advocacy Center

COOKVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A Cookeville man is facing multiple charges related to the sexual abuse of minors following a joint investigation by local and federal authorities.

Erich Lee Begley was arrested June 4 on an indictment from the Putnam County Criminal Court. He is charged with Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Minor, Sexual Battery by an Authority Figure, Solicitation of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and three counts of Aggravated Sexual Battery, authorities said. His bond was set at $500,000.

The charges stem from incidents reported between May and July 2024 involving minors from two separate families. Investigators sa

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