The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) on Saturday announced that five men were arrested in Sumner County as a result of a human trafficking investigation that included the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hendersonville Police Department (HPD).
One of the accused, Kasim Barnes, was formerly an officer with HPD. He was arrested in June 13, and Fox 17 reported last week that the department said in a statement that Barnes’ employment was terminated on June 15. He is charged with six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of solicitation of a minor to commit aggravated statutory rape, according to the outlet.
Sumner County Sheriff’s Office records show Barnes was assigned a $1 million bond, and that he remained behind bars at press time.
Two of the suspects, Duany Rodriguez-Pena, 27, and Lazaro Rodriguez-Santos, 32, are listed by the TBI as residents of Florida. Both accused of promoting prostitution, the men are now in the Sumner County Jail, with records showing Rodriguez-Pena assigned an $80,000 bond, and Rodriguez-Santos assigned bond of $82,000.
Alinson Ramirez, of La Vergne, was also charged with promoting prostitution. He was jailed Sumner County at press time, and was assigned a bond of $82,000.
The final accused is Christopher Torres. Unlike Ramirez, Rodriguez-Pena, and Rodriguez-Santos, public booking information shows Torres is additionally accused of sexual exploitation of a minor under 13. His total bond is $775,000.
According to WSMV 4, citing court documents, the investigation originated with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, which was investigating sexual trafficking and exploitation of minors at a Hendersonville hotel. Using a fake profile on an “adult-oriented social networking platform,” the documents reportedly show detectives made contact with Barnes, and identified him based on tattoos, records, and photos uploaded to social media.
In its Saturday press release, TBI said law enforcement has identified nine individuals as potential victims of the alleged human trafficking network, and connected them with Thistle Farms, a Nashville-based nonprofit that “provides women survivors with free housing, healthcare, counseling, and job readiness training for two years.”
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photos (left-to-right) “Lazaro Rodriguez-Santos, Christopher Torres, Kasim Barnes, Duany Rodriguez-Pena, and Alinson Ramirez” by Sumner County Sheriffs Office.
