Image Credit: Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office & Canva.
Article by Paula Gomes, Tennessee Conservative News –
An East Tennessee chiropractor and an illegal alien from Guatemala face charges for sex trafficking charges and soliciting a minor after they were busted in an undercover operation on Friday.
Both 31-year-old Dakota Neetz, a chiropractor in the Chattanooga area, and 22-year-old Fidel Facundo Navarro-Lopez engaged in inappropriate phone conversations and/or messages with undercover officers posing as minors on a website for escorts.
Both men admitted that they believed they were in contact with a 16-year-old girl and made arrangements to show up at a hotel in the area. Individually, Neetz and Navarro-Lopez arrived with both alcohol and condoms.
Three female officers were waiting on the pair. One pretended to be a pimp, while the other two posed as 16-year-olds.
After agreeing to meet and pay a prostitute for sex at approximately 6pm, Neetz chose one of the “teens” and handed over $100. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and detectives from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) then acted swiftly to take him into custody.
According to investigators, Neetz denied that he was planning to have sex with one of the fake teens, but condoms were later found in his suitcase, and he had already taken off his shoes and was in the process of undressing when authorities came to arrest him.
Navarro-Lopez arrived after 10pm and also had condoms with him.
After paying the officer posing as a pimp, HSI and HCSO detectives entered the room and attempted to arrest him. Navarro-Lopez resisted until a lieutenant used force to subdue him after which he became compliant.
During his arrest, it became evident that Navarro-Lopez did not speak English well. Federal agents discovered that he was not in the USA legally and had received a prior federal charge for entering the country illegally. Navarro-Lopez also had a prior DUI and had been charged for drinking underage in East Ridge.
Upon being questioned, Navarro-Lopez claimed that he did not know that having sex with a minor was an illegal act.
Both men are due in court on Wednesday, October 7th, 2026.
The pair are charged with solicitation of a minor, two counts each of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and trafficking for a commercial sex act. Navarro-Lopez faces an additional charge for resisting arrest.
Tommy Reed Jr. was also arrested during the operation and charged with promoting prostitution.
Sources:
WDEF.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
