Mother of teen speaks out on allegations against former East Point Police sergeant
EAST POINT, Ga. - The mother of the teenage girl who has accused an East Point Police officer of sexual misconduct while on duty is speaking out for the first time.
The department fired Sergeant Richard Gooddine just days after the teen made the accusations. The East Point Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation continued to investigate Friday the allegations.
The teen's mother is understandably angry and frustrated. A man whose job was to protect and serve is now accused of sexually assaulting her daughter.
Late Sunday night, the teen was with three friends when the officer reportedly stopped them for being out past curfew. An incident report states Sergeant Gooddine let the friends go and told the girl to get into his patrol vehicle. The document further stated he then drove the girl around the city for several hours before taking her to an apartment complex on Stanton Road where the alleged assault happened in his SUV.
East Point Police fired Sgt. Gooddine just days after the allegations came to light.
The victim's mother said she plans to fight to make sure no one else suffers this way.
“At the end of the day my daughter is strong and we're going to make sure we press this matter is handled so this does not happen to any other. I’m not going to say any other person, but at the same time it seems to be targeted for young girls, that this does not happen again. We will not let this fall through the cracks. We will not let East Point just sweep it under the rug. It will be taken care of,” the mother said.
It's been revealed that Gooddine had a similar complaint leveled against him in 2011 involving another 15-year-old girl.
The GBI investigated back then as well and turned its findings over to the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, which chose not to prosecute because of the impact the trial would have had on the victim.
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