No charges will be filed in connection with an upskirt photo of a coastal Georgia council member that was taken at a closed council meeting and later posted on Facebook, according to a media report.

An investigation by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office showed that the 2015 photo of Port Wentworth Councilwoman Debbie Johnson was taken by ex-Councilman Ernie Stanhope, the Savannah Morning News reported.

The investigation also showed that Mayor Glenn Jones saw the photo, according to the report.

Port Wentworth is in Chatham County, about 250 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta. Johnson became the first black Port Wentworth council member in 2014. She filed a complaint against the city in August.

Local resident Eric Steely posted the photo to Facebook in July, according to the report, with a caption that said Johnson was not wearing underwear. Johnson told investigators she was wearing underwear, which became a crucial factor in the result of the investigation.

“… had Councilwoman Johnson not been wearing an undergarment, there could very well have been criminal prosecution following this investigation,” investigator Billy Freeman wrote.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Kelly Vinal walks through debris in her space at South River Arts Studio in DeKalb County on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. The artist studio was damaged in a fire on Wednesday. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller

Featured

Prosecutor Skandalakis has previously suggested that pursuing criminal charges against President Donald Trump may not be feasible until after he leaves office in 2029. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images