A Georgia police officer was recently arrested over accusations he molested a teenage girl, officials say.
Patrick Benjamin Ventura, 28, is charged with two counts of child molestation and one count of violation of oath of office. He is also charged with one count of sexual battery against a child under the age of 16.
Ventura joined the Gwinnett County Police Department in October 2020, graduating from police academy in the spring of 2021. Authorities say that the investigation began when the suspect’s supervisor became suspicious of his patrol activities.
“In late July, a supervisor began investigating some inconsistencies in the patrol activities of Ofc. Patrick Ventura (North Precinct),” Gwinnett County Police Department said in a statement. “During the course of the investigation, the Special Victims Unit became involved because the allegations involved a teenage girl under the age of 16.”
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The suspect has been given a letter of intent to terminate. Police did not release specific details about the incident in accordance with Georgia law.
“The Gwinnett County Police Department works hard to provide excellent customer service to our community, and we hold one another to a high standard of personal conduct,” the press release added. “Though the actions of Ventura do not represent the hard-working members of the Gwinnett County Police Department, we hold every one of our officers accountable for their actions.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to Gwinnett County Police Department for more information, but no new details were available.
Authorities are actively investigating the case. There is no additional information at this time.
