Share and Follow
A Johnson City resident, Hayden Folck, is currently facing serious legal charges after allegedly downloading child sexual abuse content. The situation unfolded after a thorough investigation that spanned nearly two months, beginning in mid-March. Folck, aged 19, has been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, along with an additional charge of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Following his arrest on March 19, Folck was released on a $75,000 bond after appearing in Carter County Sessions Court for a bond hearing. As the investigation progressed, it was revealed that an affidavit accused Folck of using his Snapchat account to send links to other users, which further compounded the allegations against him.
The Elizabethton Police Department, with officer Timothy Garland leading the investigation, received critical information from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on the morning of January 20. This tip-off was initially handled by the Johnson City Police Department. However, when a search warrant traced the internet protocol address to Milligan University, the case was transferred to the Elizabethton Police Department for further investigation.
To substantiate the allegations, Garland conducted a meticulous search through social media platforms and the Milligan University directory. This investigation led to the confirmation of Hayden Folck’s identity, thereby strengthening the case against him.
Garland stated that he checked social media outlets and the Milligan directory to “positively identify this individual as Hayden Folck.”
Garland obtained a Snapchat search warrant Feb. 12, received records from Snapchat March 2 and found “that discussions and negotiations were taking place between Hayden Folck and another individual regarding the sale and use of child sex abuse material.”
The affidavit alleges that during the investigation, Folck downloaded pictures or videos of “multiple different” boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 17. It states that two videos of two different girls have been recovered, adding, “it is unclear what has been downloaded and shared on the Dark Web.”
A preliminary hearing for Folck is set for May 11. Gene Scott is listed as his defense attorney.
Milligan University confirmed that Folck had been a student there, but that he is not currently enrolled.