DA's office dedicates four to sex trafficking

District Attorney Glenn Funk on Thursday said he had assigned four assistant prosecutors to focus on sex trafficking cases in Nashville.

Derri Smith, executive director of End Slavery Tennessee, said she believed it was the first unit of its kind in the state. End Slavery Tennessee advocates for victims of trafficking and is part of a local task force that's in the works.

The unit will be led by Assistant District Attorney Tammy Meade, who has been with the office for 15 years. She has a background in vice crimes such as prostitution.

Assistant district attorneys working in the unit are: Antoinette Welch, who will continue her current role; Zoe Sams, who will also work on child sexual abuse cases and will focus on closing businesses involved in trafficking; and Vince Wyatt, who has worked on child rape and pornography cases.

"I am delighted to see the District Attorney's Office taking a lead on this issue," Smith said. "Sex trafficking is growing in the Davidson County area. We have to stop the demand and change the narrative surrounding human trafficking."

End Slavery Tennessee will provide training to the prosecutors to keep them tuned up with changing laws and trends.

Reach Stacey Barchenger at 615-726-8968 or on Twitter @sbarchenger.