Hamilton County, TN - In July of this year, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was made aware of a video depicting an adult male assaulting a young child. Investigative Services with HCSO immediately began working with the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office and community partners to determine significant details of the assault, including the date, location, and identity of the child.

At this time, Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office have confirmed that the offense did not recently occur, but that the video is several years old. It is unclear why the video recently surfaced. HCSO is working to gather more information.

Yesterday, the suspect, Ricky Casey, was located and additional information was obtained that led to his arrest. Last night, he was booked into the Hamilton County Jail and has been charged with Aggravated Domestic Assault and Aggravated Child Abuse.

“My office has been diligently working with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office on this investigation since the horrific video surfaced. We have also been working with partnering agencies including the Children’s Advocacy Center and the Department of Children’s Services to ensure the well-being of the child. The investigation is ongoing and the culpability of the mother of the child has not yet been determined,” stated District Attorney Coty Wamp.

“I would like to thank everyone in our community and region who sent texts, social media messages, and tips to me and our agency regarding the disturbing video of the young child being assaulted that surfaced yesterday evening. Let me be very clear, the HCSO takes all allegations of child abuse with the utmost seriousness, and we will not tolerate the mistreatment or abuse of a child. In situations like this, I am especially grateful for our strong partnerships, particularly with the District Attorney’s Office, which enables us to work together effectively to address these types of incidents,” stated Sheriff Austin Garrett.

Although an arrest has been made, the investigation into this incident is still ongoing. No further details are available at this time.