SMYRNA, Tenn. — Investigators said Monday they've arrested 16 Rutherford County men for reportedly seeking sex with minors.
The arrests were part of a 2-day undercover operation by several law enforcement agencies, which began on Oct. 24.
According to a Monday TBI report, authorities posted several decoy advertisements on websites they said were linked to commercial sex.
Investigators said the sting was meant to identify people who responded to the ads, seeking to have sex with minors. Authorities booked all 16 men into the Rutherford County Jail.
TBI released the names of the 16 men accused of seeking sex with minors. Each man is charged with trafficking a person for a commercial sex act.
- James H. Farmer, 55, Franklin
- Deadrick Darrell Evans, 29, Murfreesboro
- Miguel Erazo, 43, Antioch
- Luis Miguel Garcia-Alvarez, 34, La Vergne
- Paul Florez-Vazquez, 30, Nashville
- Jose Guadalupe Zarate-Flores, 39, Smyrna
- Taylor Moore, 23, Rombauer, MO
- Tony Maddox, 38, Cowan, TN
- Gameel Mesad, 55, La Vergne
- John Thomas Sulkowski, 24, Murfreesboro
- Juan Manuel Tovar, 47, Antioch
- Harry Garcia, 44, Murfreesboro
- Michael Romero, 31, Prospect
- Lian Sian Thang, 32, Smyrna
- Manasranjan Murlidhar Rana, 31, Nashville
- Diego Mancilla Martinez, 46, La Vergne