Sevierville Man Arrested In TBI Sting Targeting Child Sex

A Sevierville man is among seven arrested in East Tennessee after an undercover sting by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation targeting suspects seeking illicit sex from minors. On August 4th & 5th, the TBI placed decoy advertisements on websites known to promote prostitution and commercial sex acts. Those ads led to the arrest of seven men on Monday. Among them were 44 year old Rene Gonzalez of Sevierville. Also arrested was 61 year old Kenneth Price of Rogersville in Hawkins County. Four of the other five were from Knoxville with the other being from Maryville. All seven were booked into the Blount County jail on Monday. They are being held on bonds ranging from $25,000 to $35,000. All seven including Gonzalez and Price are charged with one count of Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act. The TBI’s investigation also ended up identifying two women who are victims of human trafficking. Those two women are now being offered counseling and housing.