A former assistant basketball coach at California State University-Bakersfield is in jail after allegedly working as a pimp across California, Washington, Nevada, and Oregon. KGET in Bakersfield reported that Kevin Mays was arrested in September 2025 on multiple charges, including human trafficking, pimping, child pornography (600 images of minors were discovered), and possession of narcotics with intent to sell, following an anonymous tip given to authorities in August 2025.
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ESPN first broke the story, reporting that Rod Barnes, former head basketball coach at CSUB, received an email titled “IMPORTANT MESSAGE 911 911” from an anonymous tipster, believed to be a woman Mays allegedly trafficked, and forwarded it to human resources and the police.
“HE IS TRAFFICKING A GIRL BY THE NAME OF [redacted],” the email read, per police records. “HE HAS BEEN TRAFFICKING THIS GIRL SINCE MAY. FIX IT OR THE WHOLE STAFF WILL FALL.”
When the investigation was launched, the avictim was discovered driving a rental car registered to Mays and staying in a hotel that was in his name. Additionally, law enforcement found online advertisements showing the victim being trafficked, according to ESPN.
Law enforcement officers also discovered several guns and large amounts of cocaine inside Mays’ apartment that were allocated for distribution and sale.
Sally Selby, the public affairs and communications manager for the Bakersfield Police Department, said that the “investigators are still conducting follow-up interviews to determine if there are other victims or applicable charges in Mays’ case.”
Selby also noted how sex crimes often occur in plain sight by perpetrators we see every day.
“These types of crimes often hide in plain sight,” Selby told USA TODAY Sports. “We will continue to work with our partners to identify traffickers, support survivors, and hold offenders accountable.”
In the aftermath of the investigation, Barnes and athletic director Kyle Conder both left their respective positions at the university. Barnes served as the head coach of CSUB for 14 years.
“I want to thank Coach Barnes for guiding our scholar-athletes since 2011 and for emphasizing academic excellence, teamwork, community engagement, and the highest level of competition,” said Cal State Bakersfield president Vernon B. Harper Jr in a school press release. “His enthusiasm for our teams and student-athletes created excitement and spirit in the Icardo Center that spread beyond our campus, into the greater community, deepening loyalty to CSUB and nurturing a new generation of Roadrunner fans.”
Mays, who played basketball at the university from 2014 to 2016 and was player development coordinator in 2019, has pleaded guilty to all charges.
He is currently in jail awaiting trial. May’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 13.
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