Cobb County police officer arrested, accused of assaulting woman

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County police officer accused of assaulting a woman has been arrested and placed on administrative leave.

Officer Robert Lanier New is facing aggravated assault by strangulation and simple battery charges.

Despite the allegations in the police report and the arrest warrant, the officer's father believes this is all a big mistake.

"He’s been a police officer for 25 years. Does that tell you anything?" Aubrey New asked.

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Robert New's attorney, Phillip Holloway, told Channel 2 Action News the officer had no criminal history and there is nothing illegal about nontraditional consensual sex between adults.

Holloway released the following statement:

“Robert New is a 46-year-old veteran law enforcement officer with no criminal history whatsoever. Regardless of the inflammatory wording used in the arrest warrant, we are looking into apparent factual discrepancies within that warrant. I note with great interest that even the Chief of Police admits that this was consensual between the adults involved. I have great reason to question and doubt the unexplained “mental age estimate” of the female involved. There’s nothing illegal about non-traditional consensual sex between adults. Any act which might otherwise be a crime is not a crime if there is no criminal intent.”

"It is disturbing," Cobb County police Chief Mike Register said.

An arrest warrant revealed the alleged physical and mentally abusive relationship with the victim started in March.

"The activity in question occurred at the officer's residence," Register said.

Channel 2 Action News learned the victim has the mental capacity of a girl who is between the ages of 10 and 14 years old.

Register said the charges against the officer stemmed from a complaint filed on June 16.

In a news conference Tuesday, the chief called the allegations "acts of violence."

"That’s just assumptions, that’s all that is. Just plain old assumptions," Aubrey New said.

The chief said Officer New is currently on administrative leave without pay. He said another woman also filed a complaint about the officer a few weeks ago.

Jail records show New's bond was denied.

Cox Media Group