Henry County man indicted on federal child exploitation charges

JACKSON, Tenn. (WSMV) - A Henry County man has been indicted on federal child exploitation charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

A federal grand jury in Jackson returned an indictment charging John A. Bell, 59, of McKenzie, on several child exploitation offenses, including:

14 counts of using and employing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.

One count of possession of a cell phone containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

“The indictment concerns Bell’s alleged acts against six minors and ranges in time from the fall of 2021 until October 2025‚” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

If convicted, Bell faces a mandatory 15-year min