COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Authorities in Tennessee say 10 men have been charged with seeking sex from minors.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and authorities in Putnam County said Thursday that they conducted an undercover operation in Cookeville from Feb. 15 through Feb. 17.
TBI said the focus was on people seeking sex with females under 18. Ads were placed in backpage.com and two TBI agents posed as women offering sex on that site.
The agents said they were 14 to 17 years old. TBI says 10 men — including college students, a mail carrier and a landscaping company owner — traveled to meet the women.
They were charged with patronizing prostitution in indictments returned May 8.
However, the total number of calls and text messages responding to the ads was 5,211.
Suspects taken into custody at the time of the TBI’s release:
- Kenneth Hobbs (DOB 09/29/1966, Dunlap): One count Patronizing Prostitution (Class B Felony)
- Lance Hatmaker (DOB 12/06/1987, Carthage): One count Patronizing Prostitution (Class A Felony)
- Matthew Kenty (DOB 06/24/1999, Birmingham, AL): One count Patronizing Prostitution (Class B Felony)
- Nicanor Baraiac (DOB 02/15/1976, Lenoir City): One count Patronizing Prostitution (Class A Felony)
- Nathaniel Stalnaker (DOB 05/04/1999, Cookeville): One count Patronizing Prostitution (Class A Felony)
- Justin Adcock (DOB 02/13/1990, Algood): One count Patronizing Prostitution (Class A Felony)
- Daniel Baltazar (DOB 07/16/1983, Cookeville): One count Patronizing Prositution (Class B Felony)
- Marcus Clark (DOB 07/27/1999, Monroe): One count Patronizing Prostitution (Class A Felony)