ATLANTA — An Atlanta police officer has been arrested on multiple charges after police say he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl after he responded to a car accident.
Police said that on August 2, the teen reported to Gwinnett County officials that she had been assaulted earlier in the morning by an off-duty officer, later identified as Anthony L. Anderson.
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Gwinnett Police began investigating and questioned Anderson on August 11. Atlanta police were notified of the situation on the same day and moved Anderson from field operations. They also started their own investigation.
Police learned that Anderson was dispatched to a single-car accident during the early morning hours of Aug. 2. When he got to the scene, he made contact with the 16-year-old driver.
“Subsequent actions by Officer Anderson during and after his shift would lead to a criminal investigation led by Atlanta Police Department’s Special Victims Unit,” police said.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office released Anderson’s mugshot Thursday evening.
Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin spoke with a resident during WSB Tonight at 11 p.m.
“They’re supposed to out to serve and protect,” said resident Shunda King.
King finds the allegations disturbing, especially as a mother of two young daughters.
“That’s really bad because I have teenage daughter myself. I have two teenagers and would really be heartbroken if it happened to one of my children,” said King.
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Anderson has been charged with violation of oath of office, cruelty to children, aggravated sexual battery and aggravated sodomy.
Anderson was arrested on Thursday and taken to the Fulton County jail.
APD’s Chief Darin Schierbaum released the following statement:
“Not only am I disturbed and disappointed by these allegations, but it also angers me. We ask the public to trust us to do the right thing, to keep them safe. So, when one of our own is accused of despicable acts with a minor, it erodes that trust that sometimes takes years to build. You can be assured, I will act swiftly to investigate anytime allegations of misconduct are brought to my attention. I want to thank the Atlanta Police Department’s criminal investigation division for their prompt action in dealing with this matter.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
According to Anderson’s personnel file, he became an officer with APD in 2015.
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