ATLANTA — An Atlanta Police Department officer has been arrested Thursday accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl.
The department said the teen reported an off-duty APD officer assaulted her on Aug. 2 to the Gwinnett County Police Department. He was later identified as Anthony L. Anderson. APD was notified on Aug. 11 when Gwinnett Police questioned the officer and an internal investigation was opened; Anderson was removed from field operations.
APD said the internal investigation showed that Anderson was dispatched to a single-car crash in the early morning of Aug. 2. That's when he approached the 16-year-old driver and his actions, according to APD, would trigger a criminal investigation with the department's special victims unit.
"After a thorough investigation of the facts of the incident, detectives obtained the probable cause necessary to charge Mr. Anderson with Violation of Oath of Office, Cruelty to Children (2nd degree), Aggravated Sexual Battery, and Aggravated Sodomy," APD said in a release.
Anderson was booked into the Fulton County Jail on those charges, jail records show.
“Not only am I disturbed and disappointed by these allegations, but it also angers me,” said APD Chief Darin Schierbaum in a prepared statement. “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."
Anderson's Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) records show that he's been with APD since March 2016. His file reveals he's received several hours of training on community policing, fostering positive community relations, cultural awareness, field training and ethics and professionalism.
APD shared Anderson's disciplinary history, which shows he's received at least four citizen complaints since 2018. At least one was deemed to have insufficient evidence.
"You can be assured, I will act swiftly to investigate anytime allegations of misconduct are brought to my attention," Schierbaum vowed.
Police are still investigating. APD's special victims unit is requesting if anyone has any further information regarding this incident, please reach out at (404) 546-4260 or contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477), or online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org.