KINGSPORT, Tenn. (AP) — Eleven men in Tennessee — including a church youth leader and a coach — have been arrested as part of a human trafficking operation sting.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced in a statement Tuesday that the Kingsport-based anti-trafficking operation called "Operation Someone Like Me" took place July 31 through Aug. 3. The TBI partnered with several agencies, including the Kingsport Police Department and Homeland Securities Investigations, to conduct the operation.
Agents posing as young girls posted advertisements online and received texts and calls from men across Tennessee and in surrounding states. A total of 11 men responded and paid to have sex with an underage girl.
The statement says agents also identified potential victims of trafficking. One woman was cited and offered housing and counseling, which she accepted.