Indictment issued in sex trafficking case

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- A man arrested in Lewisburg six months ago on charges of promoting prostitution was indicted last week by the Rutherford County Grand Jury.

Smyrna General Sessions Court records show that probable cause was found so that charges of promoting prostitution, statutory rape, aggravated and especially aggravated sexual exploitation were warranted against William Bradley Lee, 27.

Lee's case was bound over to the grand jury on Feb. 9 in connection with crimes alleged to have occurred in November, December and January. Newspaper, radio and TV stories in Middle Tennessee report Lee is a Columbia native who was operating an Internet-based prostitution ring and that one of the females working in that ring was a16-year-old runaway.

Lee allegedly had females working for him in Marshall, Rutherford and Davidson counties, according to media reports and a press release from Smyrna Police.

Most reports indicate Lee was being held on a $1.5 million bond. A check with the Rutherford County Jail on July 17, Lee's birthday, shows that he remained an inmate, but that his bond was $750,000.

His booking sheet lists him as a Smyrna resident, but he had apparently been staying with another individual when he was taken into custody when a search warrant was executed at an apartment building located at 1038 Cornersville Road.