Six men arrested, charged in Monroe County human trafficking operation
June 1, 2021

Men arrested in human trafficking operation; image courtesy of TBI

SWEETWATER, TN – A two-day undercover operation by special agents with the TBI’s Human Trafficking Unit, the Sweetwater Police Department, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the 10th Judicial District Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the office of 10th District Attorney General Steve Crump has resulted in the arrest of several men accused of seeking illicit sex from minors.

Over a two-day period beginning May 26th, as part of an undercover investigation aimed at addressed human trafficking in the region, authorities placed several decoy advertisements known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex cases. As a result of the operation, authorities arrested the following men and booked them into the Monroe County Jail.

• Matthew Jason Cohen, DOB: 6-14-1978, Maryville: Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act
• Steven Lawrence Kobylski, DOB: 09-07-1987, Decatur: Soliciting Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
• James Stephen Stinnett, DOB: 03-27-1984, Madisonville: Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act
• Anthony Cornelius Baylis, DOB: 11-23-1983, Harriman: Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act
• Joshua James Thomas, DOB: 3-31-1989, Tellico Plains: Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act
• Pedro Juan Berenguer Torres, DOB: 11-30-1970, Powell: Trafficking for a Commercial Sex Act

The operation also had the support of Grow Free TN and WillowBend Farms, which work to provide services to survivors of human trafficking. Information about trafficking and TBI’s efforts to address this type of crime can be found online at www.ITHasToStop.com.