A man has been indicted and now faces a potential sentence of 40 years after pawning a laptop that contained disturbing child pornography. Jared Dabbs, 41, has pleaded guilty to all charges brought against him. The incident unfolded when Dabbs pawned his computer at Big Boss Pawn and Gun located in Giles County, Tennessee. The pawn shop owner, upon inspecting the laptop to verify its functionality, stumbled upon explicit child sexual abuse material and promptly alerted law enforcement.
Authorities quickly identified Dabbs as the individual who had pawned the device. The following day, investigators executed a search warrant on the laptop, uncovering numerous photographs depicting child sexual abuse, including images that Dabbs himself had produced involving a juvenile victim. In addition to the laptop, law enforcement seized several other electronic devices from Dabbs’s possession in Giles County.
During an interview with law enforcement after his arrest, Dabbs confessed to creating sexual abuse material involving the minor, admitting to having engaged in sexual contact with the victim on multiple occasions. He also acknowledged downloading and viewing child sexual abuse material across various electronic devices.
Giles County Sheriff Joe Purvis emphasized the importance of community involvement in this case, stating, “We have always had a good relationship with Homeland Security. In this situation, the community is what helped us to uncover this case. This is why it is so important to have a strong connection with the community, and the pawn shop owners without hesitation knew who to call.”
As part of his sentencing, Dabbs will face five years of supervised release following his prison term and will be required to register as a sex offender. Additionally, the court has ordered him to pay restitution amounting to $69,600.