2 Suspects in TBI Human Trafficking Operation in Marion County

MARION COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — An undercover operation to identify suspects who may be involved in human trafficking has led to the arrest of two men in Marion County.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced in a press release Tuesday the arrest of 36-year-old Bryan Lawson and 27-year-old Jeremiah Masters.

Both suspects were arrested in Marion County and charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.

The undercover operation began on August 7 and lasted two days, involving the TBI Human Trafficking Unit, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the 12th Judicial District Drug Task Force.

According to the press release, investigators used decoy advertisements on websites often linked to prostitution and commercial sex to identify people who wanted to perform these acts with minors.

In addition, the operation 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 support organization.

For more information about human trafficking, visit ItHasToStop.com.