Georgia deputies accused of groping high school boys and girls
Georgia deputies accused of groping high school boys and girls
A south Georgia grand jury indicted Worth County Sheriff Jeff Hobby on Tuesday for sexual battery, false imprisonment and violation of oath of office after he ordered a school-wide search of hundreds of high school students.
Deputies allegedly touched girls vaginas and breasts and groped boys in their groin area during the search at the Worth County High School April 14.
The controversial search drew national attention because of how the body search of students was conducted under the guise of a drug search but produced no drugs or arrests.
The Worth County indictment accuses Hobby of one count of violating his oath of office and two counts of false imprisonment all felonies charges. He was also indicted on one count of sexual battery, a misdemeanor.
District Attorney Paul Bowden said warrants had not yet been issued for the arrest of the sheriff and his deputies, but he expected that as early as Thursday.
He said he is preparing a letter to Gov. Nathan Deal to outline the charges against the sheriff.
Deal has authority to suspend the sheriff as he did recently with DeKalb Sheriff Jeff Mann and Walton County Sheriff Joe Chapman.