Eight Arrested in East Tennessee Human Trafficking Sting Operation
TBI and Knoxville police arrested eight people in a two-day sting targeting those seeking sex acts with minors and identifying trafficking victims.
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE — Eight people were arrested during a two-day undercover human trafficking operation conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Knoxville Police Department in the Knoxville area.
The joint operation took place on April 21st and 22nd, with investigators placing decoy advertisements on websites linked to prostitution and commercial sex. The primary focus was identifying individuals seeking to engage in sex acts with minors.
Six Charged in Minor Solicitation Cases
Six individuals were arrested on charges related to soliciting minors for prostitution. Adrian Gonzales Ramirez, 40, of Knoxville, was charged with one count of Solicitation of a Minor – Patronizing Prostitution involving a victim under 15 years old.
Christopher Steven Goodrich, 44, of Knoxville, faces one count of Patronizing Prostitution and one count of Solicitation of a Minor – Patronizing Prostitution involving a victim under 15. Charles Ed Boles, Jr., 48, of Rockwood, was charged with one count of Solicitation of a Minor – Patronizing Prostitution involving a victim under 15.
Raymond Alexander, 72, of Knoxville, was also charged with one count of Solicitation of a Minor – Patronizing Prostitution involving a victim under 15. All suspects were booked into the Knox County Jail.
California Residents Charged with Prostitution
Two California residents were arrested on prostitution-related charges during the operation. Lingli Zheng, 47, of San Gabriel, California, was charged with one count of Prostitution and one count of Bribery of a Public Servant.
Hongtao Li, 47, of Arcadia, California, was charged with one count of Prostitution. Both individuals were also booked into the Knox County Jail.
Victim Identification Efforts
Another component of the operation focused on identifying potential victims of human trafficking. Two individuals arrested during that portion of the investigation were offered and accepted services provided through Willowbend Farms, according to TBI officials.
Investigators are continuing to follow up on hundreds of contacts made through text messages and phone calls in response to the online advertisements used during the operation. The ongoing investigation may lead to additional arrests as authorities work through the substantial amount of communication generated by the sting.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation encourages anyone to report suspected cases of human trafficking by calling the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-55-TNHTH. Additional information about human trafficking and TBI’s efforts to combat this crime can be found at www.ITHasToStop.com.
