MARION COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — An undercover operation to identify suspects possibly involved with human trafficking led to the arrest of two men in Marion County.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced the arrest of 36-year old Bryan Lawson and 27-year-old Jeremiah Masters in a press release Tuesday.
Both suspects were arrested in Marion County and accused of sexual exploitation of a minor.
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The sting operation began Aug. 7 and took place over the course of two days, with efforts from TBI’s Human Trafficking Unit, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the 12th Judicial District Drug Task Force.
According to the release, investigators used decoy advertisements on websites that are commonly linked to prostitution and commercial sex to identify people looking to engage in these acts with minors.
In addition, the operation was also focused on identifying potential victims of human trafficking. According to the report, this effort resulted in two individuals accepting treatment from a human trafficking victim service organization.
To learn more about human trafficking, visit ItHasToStop.com.