Edgar Gallegos
Armadi ImadeTwo men were arrested for allegedly purchasing sex from minors during an undercover investigation into human trafficking in McMinn County.
Edgar Gallegos, 34, of Morristown, and Armadi Imade, 38, of Sevierville, were arrested after contacting undercover agents posing as underage girls.
The investigation was part of a larger effort focused on identifying individuals seeking to pay for sex with underage girls. The joint investigation was conducted by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Athens Police Department and the Office of the 10th District Attorney General. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, McMinn County Sheriff's Office, 10th Judicial Drug Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations unit also took part in the operation.
Gallegos was arrested Thursday and charged with one count trafficking a person for a commercial sex act. He was booked in the McMinn County Jail. His bond was set at $50,000.
Imade was arrested Friday and charged with one count of trafficking a person for a commercial sex act. His bond was set at $125,000.
TBI has put additional resources toward controlling such crime with the help of funding from the State of Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs. Additional information about those efforts and human trafficking can be found at the state's website, ITHasToStop.com.