Atlanta police officer charged with sexual assault of teenage girl, waives first court appearance
ATLANTA - An Atlanta police officer accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl waived his first court appearance on Friday.
Officials say Officer Anthony L. Anderson was arrested Thursday following a long investigation that is still ongoing.
The 16-year-old girl initially reported the incident to Gwinnett County Police detectives on Aug. 2.
Officer Anderson was questioned on Aug. 11, at which time the Atlanta Police Department was notified of the accusations and opened an internal investigation. He was moved from the Field Operations Division as well, police say.
Anthony L. Anderson (Atlanta Police Department)
Police say Officer Anderson met the girl while responding to a single-car crash early in the morning of Aug. 2. Investigators with the Atlanta Police Department’s Special Victims Unit said the assault happened after his shift later that day.
"Not only am I disturbed and disappointed by these allegations, but it also angers me," said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. "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. You can be assured, I will act swiftly to investigate anytime allegations of misconduct are brought to my attention. I want to thank the Atlanta Police Department’s criminal investigation division for their prompt action in dealing with this matter."
Anderson was booked into the Fulton County Jail on Thursday. He was charged with oath of office, cruelty to children, aggravated sexual battery, and aggravated sodomy.
Police records show Anderson had been with the department since March 2016.
The Atlanta Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is requesting if anyone has any further information regarding this incident, please reach out to them at (404) 546-4260 or contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477), or online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org. Persons do not have to give their name or any identifying information to be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000 for the arrest and indictment of the suspect.