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Kenneth Price, a resident of Rogersville, was arrested on Aug. 7 along with six others accused of seeking illicit sex from minors, according to the TBI.

Price is charged with one count of trafficking for a commercial sexual act. His bond was set at $35,000. Price and the other suspects were booked into the Blount County Jail.

The operation carried out by TBI agents ran from Aug. 4 to Aug. 5 and was part of undercover efforts that were focused on both identifying potential victims of human trafficking and suspects associated with the criminal activity.

During the operation online advertisements were staged by authorities on websites that are known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex cases. The main focus of the operation was on that of identifying people trying to engage in commercial sex acts with minors.

As a result of this operation, two adult women were cited and offered services like housing and counseling through Grow Free Tennessee. Grow Free is a program of the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

The success of the operation was due to the TBI Human Trafficking Unit, Alcoa Police Department and 5th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office.