Sweetwater child sex trafficking operation leads to arrest of seven suspects – Mix 104.1 FM – WCLE – Cleveland, Tennessee

From Local 3 News: Officers and deputies from several Monroe County departments arrested seven people ranging in age from 28 to 77 for engaging in sexual conversations with an undercover officer posing as a minor online.

Most of the men arrested offered $100 to have sex with someone they thought was a 16-year-old woman or man.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office Violent Crimes Task Force, Sweetwater Police Department, Vonore Police Department and Covenant Rescue Group partnered to conduct the investigation from Thursday, June 20 through Friday, June 21 June.

A Facebook post from Monroe County Sheriff Tommy Jones says the discussions between the suspects and the decoy juvenile were explicit.

“These conversations were obnoxious in nature and most included money in exchange for sexual acts,” Sheriff Jones said.

Jones thanked the Covenant Rescue Groupan organization dedicated to rescuing victims and arresting criminals involved in human trafficking, for leading the project.

The following people were arrested during the operation:

• Roberto Lara Cuevas, 28 years old
• Gérardo Barahoma, 28 years old
• Brian Matthew Broome, 29 years old
• Honorio Herrera, 37 years old
• Enoc Gutiérrez Velazquez, 55 years old
• James R. Barsuglia, 77

Local 3 News is working to confirm the identity of the 7th suspect arrested.

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