Clarksville is a city of approximately 171,000 residents, located along the Kentucky border in Montgomery County, Tennessee. Prostitution is a persistent and visible problem in some pockets of the city, particularly along New Providence Boulevard. At least two cases of domestic minor sex trafficking have been reported in the city and surrounding area.

Although it remains unclear when the Clarksville Police Department first incorporated the use of reverse stings into its anti-prostitution efforts, news reports suggest the department has targeted sex buyers since at least 2000. In May of that year, The Leaf Chronicle reported that the CPD “sent five undercover female officers to the streets of New Providence in the guise of prostituted women, netting 16 men arrested on charges of patronizing prostitution.” The solicitations allegedly occurred in the vicinity of a local elementary school. In February and May 2012, Clarksville Police again placed decoys along New Providence and arrested 12 male sex buyers in two operations. Following the arrests, the CPD released the mugshot, name, age, birthdate and address of each of the offenders.

In April 2014, officers conducted a web-based sting that resulted in the arrest of 26 men and women, including sex buyers. According to media reports, the CPD conducted the operation over a month’s period, wherein officers “placed an ad in the adult escort section [of Backpage.com],  as well as responded to ads.” In the days that followed, the CPD released the name and mugshot of all of the individuals arrested during the sting.

In May 2017, CPD’s Special Operations Unit conducted an operation targeting sex buyers using Backpage.com. Police posted an ad online and the suspects who answered the ad negotiated various prices for the services and agreed to meet the the undercover officer at a designated location.  Three men were arrested on prostitution charges.

In December 2018, the CPD’s Special Operations Unit arrested 11 people as part of a two-day sting targeting people that provide and solicit sexual services for money online.  CPD detectives placed an advertisement on the website, skipthegames.com, and the individuals arrested all responded to the online ad, negotiated prices and agreed to meet an undercover officer at a specific location. In all, 10 men and one woman were arrested and charged with crimes.  Officials said that suspects that engage in prostitution or solicit these services are often linked to other crimes, including robbery, assault, drug possession and human trafficking.

Loss of employment is a consequence of buying sex that has occurred within the city.  For example, in March 2015, the Clarksville Police Department’s Special Operations Unit arrested eight men during a web-based prostitution sting. Vice and narcotics agents targeted prostitution listings on backpage.com.  One of the men arrested had served for 27 seasons as the Austin Peay baseball coach, and he resigned that position following his arrest. University officials announced in August 2015 that they had accepted the man’s resignation.  He had been booked on a charge of patronizing prostitution, and released on $250 bond.