A Gwinnett County corporal resigned under pressure Tuesday after supervisors learned he had failed to disclose a recent arrest on a charge of soliciting a prostitute. .
Brian Kelley was served with a letter of intent to terminate after a private citizen informed Gwinnett police that its onetime spokesman had been charged with pandering in nearby Barrow County.
"Officers in this agency are required by policy to immediately report an arrest to their supervisors," said Cpl. Jake Smith, who replaced Kelly as Gwinnett police's public information officer.
Kelly, who had been with the department since 2003, was arrested May 31 at a Winder motel, according to Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith.
He had answered an ad placed on backpage.com, the online classifieds website, by an undercover officer posing as a prostitute, Smith said. Kelly was arrested once money changed hands, according to the sheriff.
"We had no idea [Kelly was a police officer] until today," Smith said Tuesday.
This wasn't the first time Kelly has gotten in trouble for alleged lewd behavior. According to Channel 2 Action News, he had previously been reprimanded for allegedly sending lewd photos to a county worker.
On Friday, Gwinnett County police arrested University of Georgia German professor Max Reinhart and charged him with prostitution after he allegedly tried to offer his services for $60 on backpage.com.
Police said Reinhart, 65, called himself “Sasha” and advertised his services in the transexual services section of the website. An undercover investigator met with "Sasha" and negotiated a service charge before the professor was arrested.
About the Author
