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Clarke Central Student Charged with Statutory Rape after Alleged Sex Act in School Stairwell

Athens-Clarke County Police have charged a 16-year old student with one count of misdemeanor statutory rape. The charge comes after Clarke County High School officials contacted authorities after they reviewed surveillance video and the 16 -year old male involved in a sexual encounter with a 15-year old female student. Police spokesperson Epifanio Rodriguez says the students were engaged in the sexual activity in a school stairwell.

“We were contacted by officials in reference to a disbursing video that they had, as they were reviewing the video,” Rodriguez said. “It was two students engaged in a sexual contact. They were able to determine who the students were from the video. We brought the female in because in the state of Georgia, at 15-years old, you are not legally able to consent to a sexual encounter. Yesterday she was spoken to by a forensic interviewer.”

That sexual encounter happened earlier this week.

“As soon as they saw it, they immediately contacted us and we opened up the investigation.”

Rodriguez says the department released the information shortly after beginning the investigation.

“That all comes back to our promise that we made to this community of transparency. Transparency is not something you can pick and choose, it’s a philosophy. We’re going to be transparent to this community, let the community know what’s going on with the police department.”

The case has been turned over to the Athens-Clarke County juvenile court system.