Chattanooga Police Arrest Suspect Connected To Child Sex Trafficking, Investigation Ongoing

CHATTANOOGA,TN, (WDEF)-After a strategic sting operation Chattanooga police came face to face with John Harper Farmer Jr near this Shallowford road hotel Tuesday of last week.

Police Chief Fred Fletcher,"Contacted the person and arranged an opportunity to meet the person violated the code of human trafficking and he was arrested for violation"

The undercover officers had offered Harper Farmer Jr, 400 dollars in cash for the sexual act.

He arrived with two underage girls and a third female in his car.

Police Chief Fred Fletcher,"Isolated incidents and we want to make sure that everybody who is responsible for this offense and this danger to our community held accountable and that’s why a very thorough and well protected investigation is important."

John  Harper Jr has more than a dozen charges going back more than 20 years to the 1990s, they include aggravated assault, theft, burglary and impersonation.

He was using escorting websites like  backpage.com to advertise the girls and is now facing a felony charge of trafficking for a commercial sex act.

Hotel Management say they are aware of sex trafficking and are training their staff to   combat it.

Bob Dollinger, Vice President of Operations at 3HGroup Hotels,"Working with American Hotel and Lodging association as well as our greater Chattanooga hospitality association to train our management and our front line and all of our employees to help the identify the warning signs of human trafficking"

Chattanooga organizations fighting sex trafficking say girls as young as 13 are passing through the Tennessee Valley to be trafficked in Atlanta, Birmingham, Knoxville and Nashville.

Regina McDevitt, The Partnership,"People that they may encounter if they run away these are some things that can happen and these are places where people who traffic are, at bus stations in the malls on the internet"

Valerie Radu, Hamilton County Chattanooga Family Justice Center,"It happens more than people know that its yet another part of the violence that we are dealing with here on a daily basis and its one of the issues that the whole state is looking at"

John Harper Farmer Jr’s bond has been set at 200,000 dollars.

An investigation is ongoing.

The following numbers can help those who are concerned or affected by sex trafficking.

1-888-3737-888  and 423 875-0120,