A Henry County man is behind bars facing multiple charges in connection with a disturbing case of online child exploitation, law enforcement officials reported.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, acting on a tip-off from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, intercepted Ernest Brown, 45, after probing into allegations that he distributed objectionable material on social media; Brown is said to have shared files of child sexual abuse through Facebook, investigators uncovered a trove of over 5,000 files of such material during a search of Brown's home, according to a WSMV report.

In a meticulous operation that included TBI agents, the Henry County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, officials executed a search warrant at Brown’s residence on Friday, wherein they confiscated 10 electronic devices that allegedly contained the illicit content, as reported by WBBJTV.

After an in-depth investigation, Brown now faces 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, the TBI states in what appears to be a severe stance against perpetrators of child exploitation; he has been booked into the Henry County Jail on a $500,000 bond, as an investigation into the full scale of his activities remains ongoing, agents are calling on the public for any information related to Brown’s alleged crimes, as noted by KBSI23.

Authorities are urging anyone with information that could aid in the investigation to reach out to the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND or via email to [email protected].