2 Memphians arrested in East TN human trafficking sting
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man and a woman from the Memphis area were among nine arrested during a human trafficking sting in East Tennessee over the weekend.
Vincent Billingsley, 30, of Memphis, was charged with one count of promoting prostitution and one count of simple drug possession.
Morgan Garrett, 38, of Cordova, is facing one count of promoting prostitution.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said special agents with TBI's Human Trafficking Unit, the Hendersonville Police Department, the Sumner County Sheriff's Office, members of the 18th Judicial Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of 18th Judicial District Attorney General Ray Whitley were all involved in the undercover operation.
The TBI said the operation was aimed at addressing human trafficking in the Hendersonville area and identifying individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors.
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On April 11 and 12, officers placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be associated with prostitution and sex trafficking.
As a result, nine people were charged and booked into the Sumner County Jail.
Among the other individuals arrested were the following:
– Steven Cannon, 52, from Charlotte, charged with one count of promoting prostitution.- Jerry Delp, 68, from Westmoreland, charged with one count of patronizing prostitution.- James Jones, 40, from Gallatin, charged with one count of solicitation of a minor.- Trinity Knutson, 20, from Conway, Arkansas, charged with one count of prostitution.- Carlynn McIntosh, 28, from Goodlettsville, charged with one count of prostitution.- Druce Phillips, 21, from Nashville, charged with two counts of patronizing prostitution involving a minor.- Mahicol Rivas, 35, from Nashville, charged with one count of promoting prostitution.
The TBI said they were also trying to identify potential victims of human trafficking and recovered two individuals.
The victims were offered services through the human trafficking victim service organizations Thistle Farms and AncoraTN.
Information about human trafficking and TBI's efforts to address this type of crime can be found online at www.ITHasToStop.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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