On August 28, 2026, members of the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) and Special Operations Squad conducted a search warrant operation at a residence on Gleason Drive in Knoxville. The search warrant was served as part of an ongoing investigation into the sexual exploitation of children.

KPD ICAC detectives received a series of Cybertips from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children with information concerning the exchange of child sex abuse material and inappropriate communications with children through several online platforms. During their investigation, detectives were able to identify the suspect as Yaac Pekle Mendez, DOB 03/25/1993.

During the search warrant operation, ICAC detectives recovered evidence from the residence and located and arrested Mendez.

Mendez was taken into custody on three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and was booked into the Knox County Detention Facility.

The Knoxville Police Department is the lead agency of the Tennessee Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which links 80, state, local and federal law enforcement agencies in Tennessee to investigate technology facilitated sexual exploitation of children.