Davidson County sheriff seeks additional positions following high-profile cases involving children

Davidson County Sheriff Richie Simmons says he’s seeking additional officers to investigate crimes against children. The request follows two high-profile cases in the county.

The budget request for a dozen more positions will go to the county commissioners next month.

Simmons says his office is not facing staffing shortages the way some other law enforcement agencies are. But he needs additional investigators due to county growth and to handle cases like the one last month in which a 13-year-old Texas girl was abducted and held in an outbuilding in Lexington.

Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho is facing multiple charges including first-degree kidnapping, indecent liberties with a child and soliciting a child by computer.

A similar case occurred in 2021 when a Denton girl was kidnapped in Davidson County and transported to Arkansas.

Simmons urges parents to educate themselves about the dangers of kids using chat platforms.

Camacho’s next court date in Davidson County is scheduled for May 1.