TWO CHARGED IN TBI HUMAN TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATION

MEIGS COUNTY - Two people face felony human trafficking charges following a six-month investigation by special agents assigned to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Human Trafficking Unit.

Agents began investigating Tristin Epperson and Clarissa McKinney in early 2024, after receiving information concerning their interactions with a juvenile.

On Thursday, the Meigs County Grand Jury returned indictments, charging Epperson (DOB 4/19/1999) with one count of Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor, six counts of Statutory Rape, and one count of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. The grand jury returned indictments charging McKinney (DOB 7/30/1991) with one count of Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor, six counts of Facilitation of Statutory Rape, and one count of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.

On Monday, authorities arrested and booked both into the Meigs County Jail. The court set Epperson’s bond at $100,000, while McKinney was released on her own recognizance.

The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

###

About TBI

Since 1980, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has served as the state’s independent, lead law enforcement agency. Every day, focused on the agency’s core values of truth, bravery, and integrity, the TBI’s more than 700 employees provide a variety of advanced criminal and drug investigative, forensic, and criminal justice services to assist local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, to fulfill the agency’s promise, “That Guilt Shall Not Escape Nor Innocence Suffer.” Learn more about the TBI online at tn.gov/tbi, and connect with the agency on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @TBInvestigation.