A Georgia county sheriff has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his arrest at an Atlanta park earlier this year.
DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann pleaded guilty Thursday, July 27, to obstruction and prohibited conduct after he allegedly exposed himself and ran from officers at Piedmont Park on May 6, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Mann was ordered to pay $2,000 in fines and court costs and serve 80 hours of community service, which court documents showed he’d already completed by volunteering with local organization Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. He is also banned from entering City of Atlanta parks for the next six months, according to WSB-TV.
The AJC reported that Mann initially entered a “not guilty” plea but told Municipal Court Judge Crystal Gaines on Thursday that he was in fact guilty. The sheriff was initially charged with public indecency and obstruction, but thanks to a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to swap the indecency charge for prohibited conduct, as Mann was roaming the park after hours.
According to a police report, an officer spotted Mann in an area of the park “known for sexual acts after dark.” The officer claimed he saw the sheriff fondling himself through his pants and then exposing himself. Mann fled when the officer shined a flashlight on him but was later apprehended.
Mann returned to work Monday, July 24, following a 40-day suspension by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, according to 11 Alive News.
The AJC reported Mann still faces an investigation by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, which has the power to revoke his certification as a law enforcement officer. His recent conviction doesn’t disqualify him from serving as sheriff after he was re-elected to the position on November.