Man sold 15-year-old girl for sex acts, police say

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. -- A Tennessee man has been charged for allegedly trying to sell a 15-year-old girl for sex acts.

Earlier this week, an FBI agent and Sullivan County detectives found a 15-year-old girl being sold on backpage.com, forced to engage in sex acts by Brockett Lang.

"'Backpage.com' is a website where you can post ads similar to like Craigslist, but it's used a lot for escort services and that kind of thing," Sullivan County Detective Matthew Price said.

Some of the people you see on the site may not have made their own decision to advertise themselves for sex.

"It has been known to be a place for potential victims of child sex abuse, child sex human trafficking," Price said.

Price said they contacted the number on the ad, and the girl agreed to meet at the La Quinta Inn and engage in sex acts for $200 an hour.

When officers met her at the inn, "We were able to locate and find a male subject that was forcing her to do this," Price said.

They arrested Brockett Lang and charged him with trafficking a child for a commercial sex act.

Assistant District Attorney Julie Canter said because of a new law, this offense is now a Class B felony, carrying with it up to 12 years behind bars.

"If we hadn't had this law basically this male would've only been charged with a misdemeanor," Canter said. A misdemeanor would carry much less, if any, jail time.

The 15-year-old girl will not be charged with prostitution as she is being treated as a victim.

Canter said she is a runaway and is now in Department of Children's Services Custody.

"And the hope is to find a secure placement for her, not to penalize, not to criminalize her," Canter said.

WJHL reports that Lang's next court date has not been set yet.