RABUN COUNTY, Ga. — The Rabun County Sheriff is now facing sexual battery and other charges, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release Friday.
Chad Nichols, 45, faces public indecency, sexual battery and violation of oath by a public officer, which is a felony
According to the GBI, on Friday, May 24, the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney asked the agency to investigate an incident involving Nichols.
He turned himself in and was booked into the Rabun County Detention Center on Friday.
The Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney said that Nichols was granted a $32,500 bond with conditions. The conditions of his bond are that he not be involved in any law enforcement activity in his capacity as sheriff.
According to jail records, he is no longer an active inmate in the detention center.
Details on the specific incident have not yet been released.
J. Terry Norris is the executive director of the Georgia Sheriffs' Association. The Sheriffs' Association sent a letter to Governor Brian Kemp Friday, asking him to form a panel of two sheriffs and the state attorney general. That panel would investigate any potential wrongdoing and make a recommendation to the governor.
"This person has to have their day in court, but obviously there was probable cause to make an arrest. So we're acting on that at this point," Norris said. "It lessens the public's confidence in law enforcement in general and the office of sheriff specifically. There's another dent in that public's trust of our profession."
According to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, also known as POST, Nichols, the GBI and the Rabun County Sheriff's Office have 15 days to report his arrest. If the governor rules to suspend Nichols, then POST could choose to revoke any certifications. His POST record shows he's had more than 2,700 hours of training in subjects like sex crimes investigation, risk management, ethics and professionalism.
According to the sheriff's biography, Nichols joined the sheriff's office in 1998 as a jailer. He then became a dispatcher, deputy sheriff and patrol division sergeant.
He was also the Chief of Police in Baldwin, Georgia, his biography added.
Georgia has had other sheriffs lose their jobs due to criminal misconduct. Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill just lost an appeal this month, after he was convicted of civil rights violations. Last year, the Bleckley County Sheriff resigned after he was convicted of assaulting Judge Glenda Hatchett.
Nichols may face suspension at the state level, but he's also in the middle of a runoff campaign to win a third term as sheriff. He garnered the second-most votes in the May 21 primary. Former Rabun County deputy Mark Gerrells received 45-percent of the vote, which pits him and Nichols in the runoff June 18. The race was featured on the Republican ballot, and since there's no opposition, the winner of the runoff will win the sheriff's race. Nichols is still allowed to run for office despite being arrested.
In an afternoon update, the Rabun County Sheriff's Office announced Major Beth Darnell as their acting sheriff. According to the office, she has been employed with them for 14 years.
A photo of the acting sheriff is below.
11Alive is working to gather more information on Nichols' arrest.
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