Former DeKalb officer indicted in 2011 sexual assaults of teens

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A former DeKalb County police sergeant has been indicted in a nearly 15-year-old case involving the sexual assaults of two teenage girls after authorities said DNA linked him to evidence collected in 2011.

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What we know:

Cameron Livsey, 47, faces charges including rape, kidnapping, armed robbery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, authorities announced Wednesday. A DeKalb County grand jury reportedly returned the indictment Tuesday.

Livsey was a DeKalb County police officer at the time of the alleged attacks. He resigned in lieu of termination earlier this year following his arrest on separate federal charges, officials said.

Teenagers reported attacks at Exchange Park

During a news conference on Wednesday, it was revealed that a 17-year-old girl told officers that she and a 16-year-old friend were walking through Exchange Park on Oct. 8, 2011, when a man approached from behind and warned them not to turn around because he had a gun.

The man took their bags, phones and money, then ordered them to undress and lie face down on the ground, they said. 

After sexually assaulting both girls, he ordered the 17-year-old to run away without her clothes and threatened to shoot her if she looked back. Police responded around 10:30 p.m. and entered the younger girl’s name into a national missing-person database.

Just after 2 a.m. Oct. 9, officers responded to a report of a possible rape and robbery at an apartment complex off Panola Road in Stonecrest, about eight miles from the park.

The 16-year-old told officers the attacker had forced her to dress and get into a silver Dodge Charger after sending her friend away. He instructed her to keep her head down, preventing her from seeing where they went.

She reported hearing a garage door open and close before the man took her into a house, raped her and forced her to perform oral sex at gunpoint.

Authorities said he then made her shower in an attempt to destroy evidence before dropping her off at the apartment complex.

DNA match provided break in cold case

The younger girl was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, where a sexual assault examination recovered male DNA.

Investigators uploaded the profile to the Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS, but initially found no match.

The break came after FBI agents arrested Livsey on April 30 in a separate federal investigation involving child sexual abuse material. Authorities collected a cheek swab and uploaded his DNA profile to CODIS.

In late August, the district attorney’s office learned that his profile matched DNA recovered in the 2011 case, officials said.

DeKalb County Police Chief Gregory Padrick said detectives’ work collecting and preserving evidence helped investigators identify a suspect nearly 15 years later.

"No badge, no rank, and no position places anyone above the law," he said.

Separate federal case led to arrest

What they're saying:

U.S. Attorney Teddy Hertzberg said the federal investigation began in March after the FBI received a tip that Livsey had used a cryptocurrency account to purchase access to child sexual abuse material on the dark web.

Investigators alleged he transferred bitcoin to two websites offering access to that material in exchange for subscription fees.

Livsey was arrested April 30 and indicted by a federal grand jury five days later. A magistrate judge released him over prosecutors’ objections, with conditions prohibiting him from possessing electronic devices or pornographic material, Hertzberg said.

During an Aug. 21 compliance search of his home and car, probation officers found three phones, a tablet, numerous digital storage devices and pornography hidden in his glove compartment, according to Hertzberg.

FBI agents subsequently searched a storage unit Livsey owned and found 28 additional electronic devices, he said.

Prosecutors successfully sought to revoke his release, and Livsey has remained in federal custody since Aug. 21.

Hertzberg said federal authorities would accommodate the state prosecution so it could proceed without delay.

Investigators seek information about possible additional victims

What's next:

The district attorney’s office is reviewing other unsolved sexual assault reports for similarities, saying investigators believe there could be additional victims.

Authorities said Livsey frequented DeKalb County parks and drove a Dodge Charger that could appear silver, blue or black depending on the lighting.

Anyone with information about Livsey or the alleged crimes is asked to call 404-371-2444.

Prosecutors met with both survivors earlier this week to inform them of the developments. Livsey is expected to be arraigned on the DeKalb County charges soon.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life without parole, plus five additional life sentences and 90 years in prison, officials said. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.