8 arrested in Tennessee human trafficking operation
SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn.--An undercover investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) resulted in the arrest of 8 people for human trafficking charges.
The TBI teamed up with multiple agencies in the county and cities for a two-day operation focused on human trafficking. Agents placed several decoy ads on websites known to be linked to commercial sex and prostitution to identify persons looking to have sex with minors.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 8 men, ranging in age from 27 to 66-years-old. All of the men were charged with solicitation of a minor with one man facing an additional charge of soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrests as stated by the TBI are as follows:
Carl Joseph Cantrell (DOB: 7/16/88), Dandridge, TN: One count of Solicitation of a Minor
Benjamin Jason Holt (DOB: 10/12/77), Newport, TN: One count of Solicitation of a Minor
Eric Burse Griffith (DOB: 7/18/81), Robbins, TN: One count of Soliciting Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by Electronic Means
Denis Tyulkin (DOB: 6/15/76), Ravenna, OH: One count of Solicitation of a Minor
Tyler Ryan Arrington (DOB: 12/15/92), Lebanon, VA: One count of Solicitation of a Minor
Raul Pedro (DOB: 5/28/94), Knoxville, TN: One count of Solicitation of a Minor
Kevin Leroy Baer (DOB: 12/16/55), Westminster, MD: One count of Solicitation of a Minor
Ivan Kale Freeman (DOB: 1/27/92), Knoxville, TN: One count of Solicitation of a Minor
Track crime in your area with the AlertNest Crime Map:
