MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Friendsville man has been arrested on Monday following an eight-month sexual abuse investigation involving juvenile victims, according to Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong.

Anthony Duke Soto, 45, has been indicted on charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child, aggravated child abuse/neglect, child abuse/neglect, sexual battery by an authority figure and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The sheriff’s office opened an investigation into Soto in August 2022 after three female teens accused Soto of sexually abusing them on a boat.

The victims reported that Soto offered them marijuana and alcohol and then touched them sexually, according to Blount County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook post.

The sheriff’s office revealed that more teenage girls spoke out against Soto for victimizing them at his residence on Academy Drive. Investigators interviewed multiple juveniles, including family members, who claim that Soto abused them sexually and/or physically.

Early this year, investigators conducted a search warrant with the assistance of the Blount County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team and seized evidence pertaining to the case, the sheriff’s office wrote.

The U.S. Marshals Service Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force arrested Soto at his home. He is being held at the Blount County Correctional Facility. His bonds total $750,000 pending a hearing on April 10 at 9 a.m.