Clarksville, TN (WOKI) Six men have been arrested following a human trafficking investigation in Clarksville.
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say the arrests stem from an undercover operation launched August 16 aimed at addressing human trafficking in the Montgomery County area.
TBI says officers placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex in order to identify and arrest individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors.
Four of the suspects arrested were from Clarksville; the others were from Memphis and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They were booked into the Montgomery County Jail:
- Franklin Poe (DOB 08/03/1999), Memphis – Two counts Trafficking for Sexual Servitude. $15,000 bond.
- Andre Johnson (DOB 03/02/1990), Fort Campbell, KY – One count each Possession of Firearm during Commission of Dangerous Felony, Solicitation of a Minor, Trafficking for Sexual Servitude. $145,000 bond.
- Dashuan Ramey (DOB 11/22/1991), Clarksville – One count Trafficking for Sexual Servitude. $20,500 bond.
- James Francis (DOB 09/02/1981), Clarksville – One count Promoting Prostitution. $25,000 bond.
- Patrick Kugler (DOB 02/07/1995), Clarksville – One count Trafficking for Sexual Servitude. $5,000 bond.
- Anthony Rice (DOB 06/02/1992), Clarksville – Two counts Trafficking for Sexual Servitude. $5,000 bond.
TBI adds the undercover operation also resulted in the recovery of seven potential victims of human trafficking.
“In an effort to identify human trafficking victims, law enforcement officials reached out to ads that had been placed on websites linked to prostitution and commercial sex ads,” the TBI said. “As a result of this part of the operation, seven individuals were recovered as potential victims of human trafficking and were offered services through an HT victim service organization.”
