Story highlights Toby Willis, 46, was arrested in Kentucky

Authorities said he fled to the state to avoid law enforcement in Tennessee

(CNN) Authorities arrested the patriarch of the TLC reality television show, "The Willis Family," for an alleged sexual encounter with an underage girl dating to 12 years ago.

Toby Willis, 46, was arrested Friday in Greenville, Kentucky. He was charged with one count of rape of a child and is being held without bond at a county jail in the same city, authorities said.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations said it started looking into the case late last month and "developed information Willis had a sexual encounter approximately 12 years ago with an underage female."

The investigation into the case "remains active and ongoing," the TBI said in a statement . It offered no further details about the alleged crime.

TBI agents said Willis, whose show is based in Nashville, fled to neighboring Kentucky to avoid law enforcement.

Read More