MARION COUNTY – An undercover operation by special agents with the TBI’s Human Trafficking Unit, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the 12th Judicial District Drug Task Force resulted in arrests, with two individuals accepting treatment.

Over a two-day period starting August 7th, as part of an undercover operation aimed at addressing human trafficking in the East Tennessee area, officers placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex. The focus of the operation was to identify individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors. As a result, agents, deputies, and detectives arrested two men, who were booked into the Marion County Jail.

* Bryan Edward Lawson (DOB: 07/25/1988), Georgetown. Three counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by Electronic Means. No bond.

* Jeremiah James Masters (DOB: 06/09/1997), Chattanooga. One count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by Electronic Means, $2,500 bond.

In an effort to identify human trafficking victims, law enforcement officials reached out to ads that had been placed on websites linked to prostitution and commercial sex ads. As a result of this part of the operation, one person was arrested and another individual was issued a citation. Both of those individuals were offered and accepted services through a human trafficking victim service organization.

Information about human trafficking and TBI’s efforts to address this type of crime can be found online at www.ITHasToStop.com.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.