County Commissioner Charged With Child Abuse In Southeast Georgia – WABE

An 84-year-old southeast Georgia county commissioner was arrested Wednesday after a four-month investigation and charged with child molestation and sexual assault, authorities said.

Reginald Loper has served as a commissioner in Effingham County, west of Savannah, for nearly two decades. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the county sheriff asked the bureau in January to investigate allegations of child sex abuse related to Loper, a Republican.

The statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation gave no further details about what led to Loper’s arrest.

“He has served the county and his constituents well for nearly two decades,” Loper’s fellow commissioners said in a statement, “and we pray for him and his family as they navigate this situation.”

It was not immediately known if Loper had an attorney.

WABE News contributed to this report.