Longtime sports reporter and director Aaron Suttles was arrested in an undercover human trafficking sting by the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Suttles, whose full name is Robert Aaron Suttles, was one of 15 taken into custody as part of the operation.
After covering Alabama football for The Athletic, Suttles became the director of content for Yea Alabama, the university’s official name, image and likeness (NIL) initiative.
Suttles, 49, was arrested Thursday and charged with soliciting prostitution. He and 14 other suspects were booked into the Shelby County Jail.
Others arrested were Rodrick Hicks, Quinton Lee, George Brand, Steven Crews, Arthur McClendon, Tremele Perry, Wayne Leslie, Efrem Miller, Robert Suttles, Naushad Sundrani, Jacob Hollingsworth, Prudhvi Paladugu, Carlos Barba-Sanchez, Bruno Reyes and Carter Lundstrom.
Hollingsworth was also charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance (meth and cocaine) and second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana.
“We will not tolerate the victimization of vulnerable women here in Shelby County,” said task force commander Lt. Clayton Smith. “I believe that no woman wakes up each morning and chooses to sell their bodies because they just want to. There is always an underlying reason that they feel they have to do this to live and have no other option. We have a duty to protect them just like any other citizen. I want to thank the investigators for their passion and work in this operation.”
Suttles has been removed from the Yea Alabama website. 1819 News has reached out to Yea Alabama for comment.
All parties are considered innocent until proven guilty.
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