A mayor and police chief may have his job on the line after a series of criminal accusations. The Georgia mayor has been accused of soliciting young men for sex. He was charged with sex crimes including solicitation of sodomy and theft.
Authorities were conducting an investigation which lasted for a month and a half. The man is a mayor in Concord and a police chief in a nearby city. According to reports, he abused his position of authority to gain the trust of his alleged victims. The investigation started when authorities were contacted by one of the alleged victims’ grandparents. Throughout the investigation, it was reportedly revealed that the man was using a government issued phone to send inappropriate photos to juveniles.
He also purportedly gave one of the victims a personal code to put gas in his vehicle. Authorities were able to obtain a search warrant, but it’s not known what was discovered when it was executed. The man was charged with one count of theft by conversion and two counts of solicitation of sodomy.
Being charged with sex crimes can lead to a number of negative outcomes if a conviction is ultimately obtained, and this is especially true for someone in a government position. Not only can those convicted face time behind bars, but they may also be required to register as a sex offender and lose out on many job opportunities. In this case, the mayor/police chief’s long-term reputation may be affected, and he could certainly lose trust and respect from those in the community. In any criminal case, Georgia prosecutors must provide substantial proof that the defendants committed the crimes they have been accused of before any criminal conviction is possible.
Please see another blog on sex crimes here.
Source: NBC Atlanta, “Mayor of Concord, Ga., charged with soliciting sodomy“, Oct. 15, 2014