Seven people, including two former employees of Fort Valley State University are now charged with various sex crimes after a months-long investigation into illegal conduct at the university.
Bibb County District Attorney David Cooke made the announcement at a press conference on Friday morning.
Six men are all charged with pandering and solicitation of sodomy stemming from incidents in 2017 and 2018.
They were identified as:
- Ernest Harvey, 47
- Kenneth Howard, 56
- Ryan Jenkins, 35
- Charles Jones, 57
- Devontae Little, 26
- Arthur James Nance Jr., 46
Additionally, the former executive assistant to the president, Alecia Johnson, is charged with six counts of pimping on allegations she provided a prostitute to the six men.
Johnson also faces six counts of prostitution on allegations that she performed sexual acts for money and other items, and one count of conspiracy to commit fiduciary theft on allegations she conspired to take a student’s scholarship money in Oct. 2015.
One of the men charged with soliciting sex was the Director of Corporate and Government Affairs at Fort Valley, Charles Jones.
Jones is no longer with the institution but his bio, that has since been removed from the website, said he also previously served as FVSU's Director of the Public Service Center, Chief Legal Officer and Director of Government Relations. He'd been with the school since 2011.
His bio also said he's married with three sons.
We're also working to confirm that one of the suspects is a high ranking official in a neighboring county who has previous allegations of sexual misconduct.
In a statement, the university thanked the work of the GBI and said they are committed to their students.
"FVSU has promised its students that their safety and security is our first priority, and we fully support the application of the judicial process," the statement read in part.
They also said they're cooperating with authorities.
"We expect anyone who has compromised the trust of our students to be held accountable with all deliberate speed," the statement ended.
Earlier this year, an 11Alive investigation revealed that Johnson is also a graduate member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and posts on social media pointed to a sex scandal involving undergraduate members of that organization.
RELATED | Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority responds to Fort Valley State University sex scandal allegations
Documents obtained by 11Alive through an open records request include a letter from the South Atlantic regional director of the sorority that announced the suspension of the chapter and said the investigation was spurred after she “received information regarding unauthorized activities and misconduct involving current and former members of Alpha Beta Chapter.”
11Alive reached out the sorority after these charges were announced. We're awaiting an reply but, on April 18, they sent a statement to our newsroom saying they were “appalled" by the allegations and had already begun an internal investigation.
The school went under investigation by the GBI for alleged employee misconduct involving students and outside players. At the time, GBI Special Agent J.T. Ricketson said they were requested by the Georgia Board of Regents and Attorney General's office to "look into a matter" at the university.
The GBI criminal investigation began on April 12, 2018.
Check back as we gather more information and updates on this developing story.
