Fulton County prosecutors on Friday disclosed they are no longer pursuing rape and sexual battery charges against an FBI agent, stemming from allegations following the agent's night out with an Atlanta woman.
Christopher Paul of Coral Springs, Florida, was arrested last year and indicted by a Fulton grand jury on the felony charges.
But he adamantly denied the accusations and is glad the case is over, his lawyer said.
“He is relieved that these painful and false allegations have been fully vetted and dismissed,” Atlanta defense lawyer Tanya Miller said in a statement. “He is anxious to get back to his important work as a federal law enforcement officer, husband and father of three small boys without the stress and distraction that this devastating lie has been held over his head for nearly a year.”
According to a police report, Paul went out for drinks with a woman while visiting Atlanta on Feb. 22. The woman, who’d known Paul previously, later told police she blacked out and then woke up to find Paul touching her. She said she had sex with Paul out of fear for her safety, the report said.
The woman reported the alleged assault six days following the incident, police said.
Paul, 36, was arrested by Atlanta police while traveling through the New Orleans airport on March 6. He was held in custody for about five weeks until being released on bond.
After Fulton prosecutors disclosed their intent not to prosecute Paul on Friday, Superior Court Judge Craig Schwall signed an order documenting their decision.
In her statement, Miller thanked Fulton prosecutors “for the thorough, unbiased and impartial investigation of this case.”
District Attorney Paul Howard said after the case was presented to the grand jury, it was assigned to his public integrity unit, which conducted “a more intensive investigation.”
When that was completed, “it was our opinion that we should no longer move forward with the indictment … and we do not intend to take any further criminal action against Mr. Paul,” Howard said.
