Human trafficking sting operations in Tennessee netted nine arrests this month, including a local college football coach.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it arrested six people in Middle and West Tennessee and three more in a separate operation in East Tennessee.
They also recovered nine potential victims of sex trafficking and offered them services through a victim service organization. TBI said the operations were focused on “individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts with minors.”
Among the arrests was 29-year-old Patrick Kugler, an assistant coach at Austin Peay State University and former player for the University of Michigan. Kugler abruptly resigned his post on August 18, several days before TBI announced the arrests. He played for the Wolverine football team from 2013 to 2017, earning All Big 10 honorable mention in his last year, according to WDIV.
Kugler was among six men arrested during the two-day operation that began on August 16. He was charged with one count of trafficking for sexual servitude and given a $5,000 bail.
Austin Peay released a statement saying that it was aware of Kugler’s arrest but had no further comment.
Kugler was arrested in Clarksville, along with Dashaun Ramey (trafficking for sexual servitude), James Francis (promoting prostitution), and Anthony Rice (trafficking for sexual servitude). Franklin Poe was arrested in Memphis on two counts of trafficking for sexual servitude, and Andre Johnson was arrested in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on multiple counts, including solicitation of a minor and trafficking for sexual servitude.
In Johnson City, Dwight Rooker was charged with trafficking for a commercial sex act and solicitation of a minor, Joseph Payne was charged with two counts of trafficking for a commercial sex act, and Joshua Johnson was charge with one count of trafficking for a commercial sex act.
The Johnson City operation started on August 21 and ended two days later.
In both operations, agents posted “decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex.”
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[Featured image: Patrick Kugler/Austin Peay State University]
