Pair accused in underage prostitution ring

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MURFREESBORO, TN

Two men are facing arraignment after being indicted on multiple counts related to a child-prostitution ring.

Kareem R. Wiggins, 22, of 599 Cedar Bend Road in La Vergne and Robert A. Wright, 26, of 1444 Jeter Way in Murfreesboro are being held at the Rutherford County Jail.

According to Maj. Clyde Adkison of the Murfreesboro Police Department, Wiggins is charged with three counts of trafficking for a commercial sex act, two counts of money laundering, 12 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, 12 counts of statutory rape and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He is being held on $50,000 bond.

Wright is charged with three counts of trafficking for a commercial sex act, four counts of money laundering, 12 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, 11 counts of aggravated statutory rape, one count of coercion of a witness and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He is being held on a $65,000 bond.

“We have to protect our young people,” Adkison told WTVF. “That’s our job.”

The major described the operation as being sophisticated because the culprits used different motels to avoid detection.

They admitted to advertising the prostitution through the website backpage.com, according to a police report.

Police presented evidence to the grand jury Feb. 5. On Feb. 6, Wiggins arrived at the police department to face arrest on the sealed indictment before being delivered to the Rutherford County Jail for booking. Wright was already in custody at the jail where an officer served the grand jury indictment to him.

Adkison said the joint investigation of the Murfreesboro Police Department Vice Section and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation began Jan. 10 and arrests were made Jan. 24. The Rutherford County grand jury returned true bills on both men Feb. 5. Arraignment will be Feb. 19.

Murfreesboro Police Detective Gabe Besleaga and TBI Agent Jason Wilkerson led the investigation. Adkison said their investigation, which included more than a dozen subpoenas and five search warrants, began after reports of a solicitation for sex on the website.

Officers found two 16-year-old females who made statements that suspects received money from clients who had sex with the girls. Both indicated they had been recruited by Wiggins and Wright, Adkison said. They would move around to different motel rooms at different motels on different dates.

A third adult female victim confirmed their statement, Adkison said.

Both girls involved are back with their families, Adkison said, adding that the sealed case is still under investigation to see if other children were engaging in prostitution, as well as if computer records show who the customers were.