Jackson, TN – A Gibson County man has been indicted on child exploitation charges. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictment today.

A Humboldt man on federal supervised release was indicted today on child exploitation charges. A grand jury seated in the Eastern Division of the Western District of Tennessee returned a two-count indictment charging that on June 14, 2018, Finis Ewin Hill, 66, known as "Pete" Hill, used the internet to attempt to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. Hill is also charged with traveling from Tennessee to Mississippi on June 16, 2018, to meet with a person he believed to be under sixteen and engage in illicit sexual activity.

In 2005, Hill was convicted of being a felon possession of a firearm, and sentenced to serve 221 months in prison. He was released from federal custody and placed on supervised release on January 18, 2018. A petition to revoke Hill’s supervised release has also been filed.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said:" Let this indictment serve notice on those who use the internet and electronic means to exploit, abuse, and victimize minor children: You cannot hide, we will track you down, and you will be held accountable for such disturbing and predatory criminal conduct."

If convicted, on count one of the indictment Hill faces not more than 30 years in federal prison, $250,000 fine and supervised release of five years up to life. On count two of the indictment, Hill faces 10 years up to life imprisonment, five years supervised release and $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the Milan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra Ireland and Hillary Parham are prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.