‘Y’all probably heard of me,’ Ga. commissioner says during arrest on child molestation charges

EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. — An Effingham County Commissioner was arrested on child molestation charges earlier in May, stemming from a January investigation by the county sheriff.

Reginald “Reggie” Loper of Springfield, 84, is the District 4 commissioner in Effingham County.

Loper was booked into the Effingham County Jail on May 17, according to jail records, facing charges of child molestation and misdemeanor sexual battery.

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New footage of his arrest, captured on camera at the sheriff’s office and obtained by WJCL, shows him referencing his elected position while in custody of law enforcement officers.

“I’m Reggie Loper. Y’all probably heard of me,” Loper says on video. “I have been a commissioner for 19 years.”

As previously reported by Channel 2 Action News, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate allegations of child sexual abuse on Jan. 9, eventually leading to the charges.

He also told deputies that “We built this new jail and all.”

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The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office told Channel 2 Action News Loper bonded out several hours after he was processed at the county jail.

As far as Loper’s status with the Board of Commissioners, the county’s spokesman said they have no comment on his “situation.”

“The next board meeting is Tuesday,” the spokesman said. “It is up to him if he attends.”

According to a spokeswoman from the GBI, the investigation is ongoing and active, with no new updates to report.

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