A Lithonia police officer was arrested Friday morning on charges of rape and aggravated assault.
David Wilborn, 42, also faces a charge of violating his oath as a public officer, DeKalb County police spokesman Sgt. J.D. Spencer confirmed to AJC.com.
The Lithonia Police Department asked for DeKalb County’s help to investigate an allegation against Wilborn after an alleged assault at a city park late Thursday night.
“DeKalb Police Special Victims Unit responded and collected evidence along with victim and witness statements,” Spencer said in a news release. “Lithonia police Officer David Wilborn was interviewed by DeKalb detectives and subsequently arrested and charged.”
According to a police report, Wilborn and the alleged victim had no prior relationship. He was booked into the DeKalb jail about 6:30 a.m. Friday.
“Officer Wilborn has been placed on administrative leave effectively immediately, pending termination,” Lithonia police Chief Annette Williams said.
It is not the first time Wilborn has been accused of sexual misconduct.
In 2008, Wilborn voluntarily resigned from the Atlanta Police Department amid an internal investigation into another allegation of misconduct, according to Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) records. The agency sets training standards and regulates police officers.
Atlanta police began the investigation in September 2007 after a woman said Wilborn, while on duty and in full uniform, performed a sexual act in front of her. Wilborn allegedly admitted to supervisors that he approached the woman at the lingerie shop where she worked, followed her into a back room and engaged in the act, POST records show.
The police department sustained the allegations for absence from duty and conduct unbecoming an officer. In 2010, Wilborn’s police certification was suspended for two years and he received a public reprimand from the POST council. He was hired by the Lithonia Police department in July 2017.
According to his LinkedIn page, Wilborn is a U.S. Army reservist and has served as a military police officer since 2015. He was hired by the Lithonia Police Department in 2017, his POST record shows.
— AJC data specialist Jennifer Peebles contributed to this article.
About the Author
