A Gwinnett County police officer suspected of molesting a teenage girl was arrested Saturday, police said.
Officer Patrick Benjamin Ventura, who was hired by Gwinnett police in late 2020, was booked into the county jail on charges of child molestation, sexual battery against a child under the age of 16 and violating his oath of office, officials said. The 28-year-old remains in jail without bond and has been served with a letter of intent to terminate.
An investigation began in late July by Ventura’s patrol supervisor due to what the department called “inconsistencies in the patrol activities.” Officials did not elaborate on those alleged inconsistencies.
“During the course of the investigation, the special victims unit became involved because the allegations involved a teenage girl under the age of 16,” authorities explained.
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department
Gwinnett police said the specifics of the investigation are confidential and no other details were released. Ventura graduated from the police academy in the spring of 2021.
“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,” officials stated.
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