The new stop observe thirty days . 5 a lot of time data to the allegations you to definitely Roberts solicited several men getting gender and you may utilized his reputation since the cops head to increase the newest trust off the students people

An authorities captain who is also a mayor in the center Georgia is detained of the GBI towards Wednesday for allegedly sexting and you may soliciting intercourse regarding young men.

New metropolitan areas out-of Molena and you will Concord � within the Pike County on 60 miles southwest from Atlanta � is actually both likely to keep special called urban area council meetings to your Thursday to address new stop away from James Roberts. He had been re-picked while the and you can re-appointed Molena police master within the March when the area reinstated its cops company.

The newest GBI arrested Roberts into Wednesday just after a half dozen-day data towards the allegations he solicited at the least a few men to own intercourse by using his reputation since head so you can determine him or her, enjoy among the guys to track down gasoline to help you refill his car and made use of his city mobile phone in order to sext the students men. He had been faced with two counts away from solicitation out-of sodomy and that count out-of theft by the conversion process.

The fresh GBI arrested Molena Police Chief James Roberts today. Roberts, who is plus the Gran out of Concord, provided one of these teenage boys with his individual password and you will the answer to obtain condition fuel to help you fill up the young man’s personally had auto.

In Coker, of your Griffin Official Routine, requested the fresh GBI perform an investigation into the allegations facing Roberts. The newest demand arrived after the grandparents of 1 of young males, who had been presumably victimized from the Roberts, stated all the information with the Pike State Sheriff’s Office. The study as well as revealed Roberts delivered smart photo in order to a teenager towards their urban area mobile phone.

New GBI displayed the findings to Griffin Official Circuit Section Attorney Scott Ballard just who computed Roberts might possibly be faced with two matters out-of Solicitation off Sodomy and one matter out-of Theft by the Conversion.

Subsequent to Roberts’ stop, GBI representatives executed look warrants at Roberts’ quarters, new Molena Cops Service, Molena Town Hallway, and Concord City Hallway.

Particularly, the fresh Court kept, new prosecution did not establish that the suggested sexual acts had been becoming did in public areas, in return for money otherwise some thing off industrial well older women fun worth, by push, or from the that legally unable to consenting so you’re able to particularly serves

A GBI spokesperson denied to go over the ages of so-called subjects and you can whether or not they avove the age of 16, the period of concur in Georgia. The newest representative, Sherry Lang, including would not state when the Roberts provided the students people dollars throughout the so-called solicitations. She together with told you a court features since close your situation and you can most information could not feel discussed.

During the , the fresh new Georgia Ultimate Legal put the actual belief out-of a police officer during the Nashville, Ga., who obtained a 5-seasons prison sentence getting sexting and soliciting gender of a good 17-year-dated highschool athlete. The GBI detained James Edwin Watson last year shortly after carrying out a great pain if the teen complained so you can a high-school coach on Watson asking for sex. In 2011, a good jury found guilty him away from two crime counts off violating their oath regarding workplace as well as 2 infraction matters away from solicitation of sodomy.

A chunk of nation’s sodomy rules is broke up with within the 1998, end the fresh new part of the rules one to criminalized �private, unforced, non-commercial serves from sexual intimacy between people lawfully in a position to agree.� In the Watson’s case, the state Best Court stopped his belief and you can ruled your situation didn’t show all left issues needed to be convicted having solicitation around just what stays of the condition sodomy rules. The judge along with spelled out solicitation out-of sodomy is illegal simply when your gender work is usually to be performed in public, involves the replace of cash, is through push or perhaps is that have people in ages of sixteen.

Roberts presided across the City Council fulfilling during the Concord for the Friday. His stop shocked Concord Mayor Expert Tem John Strickland, with regards to the AJC.

Strickland said GBI officials concerned city hallway Wednesday morning so you can search urban area servers. He said detectives searched the metropolis clerk’s computers to make sure you will find absolutely nothing on it, although Roberts doesn’t explore one computer system. He added you to definitely investigators don’t capture you to computers once choosing discover no suggestions strongly related to the situation on the website, however, did take some of one’s city’s lifeless computers with these people so you can test.

Little thus far possess implicated the city in almost any malfeasance, Strickland said, and there might have been no sign of people wrongdoing from the Roberts inside the capabilities once the gran.