Former Putnam County School Teacher Indicted

A former Putnam County School Teacher has been indicted after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cybertip that that photographic files that contained suspected child pornography may have been uploaded in this jurisdiction.  According to District Attorney General Bryant C. Dunaway, the tip was investigated by the Cookeville Police Department and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.  Authorities seized computers and electronic devices located in the Cumberland County home of 61-year-old Michael Joe Phillips. On Monday, June 27, 2022, the Cumberland County Grand Jury found probable cause that Phillips committed the offense of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.  An indictment was issued and Michael Phillips was arrested on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 and booked into the Cumberland County Jail.  On his Facebook page, DA Dunaway said “there is no evidence at this time that any child in Putnam or Cumberland County has been a victim in this case.   This case is still being investigated.  If the public has any information that would provide further information that may be of concern, please contact the District Attorney Generals Office.”  (Photo: Michael Joe Phillips, courtesy DA Bryant C. Dunaway)