A former East Point police officer accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl has been the target of three other sexual misconduct allegations since 2011, personnel records obtained Wednesday by Channel 2 Action News show.
Sgt. Richard Gooddine, who is currently under investigation by the GBI and was fired from the police department last week, was accused of sexual misconduct or inappropriate touching in 2011, 2016 and 2017, the news station reported.
In 2011, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute Sgt. Richard Gooddine in a sexual battery and child molestation case, saying it would not have been in the best interest of the victim, according to Channel 2. He maintained his innocence in the case.
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In March 2016, a woman told police Gooddine “brushed against her breast” as he handcuffed her on a charge of driving with a suspended license, Channel 2 reported.
The woman, who was about 60 years old at the time, was stopped in front of a gas station, and she told investigators Gooddine appeared intoxicated, according to Channel 2. She said she felt uncomfortable during the frisk, which happened in front of her grandchild.
Gooddine was not equipped with a body camera at the time, the news station reported. Another officer who pulled up after the arrest said he never saw Gooddine do anything unprofessional.
In August 2017, a woman accused of shoplifting from a local Walmart alleged Gooddine pulled her pants down in his patrol car and fondled her, according to Channel 2. The woman told Gooddine’s partner, who wasn’t present during the incident.
Gooddine passed a polygraph by answering “no” to four questions regarding the alleged fondling, and investigators said jail and Walmart video didn’t show Gooddine doing anything inappropriate, the news station reported.
Both internal investigations were deemed “not sustained,” according to Channel 2.
Last Wednesday, moments after he was fired, Gooddine told Channel 2 the latest accusations against him were false. He's currently under investigation for allegedly stalking the 15-year-old and her mother at a local hospital hours after he sexually assaulted the girl.
MORE: Officer accused of sexually assaulting girl, stalking her at hospital
“I’m not guilty,” he said as he left the police department.
The East Point Police Department declined the news station’s request for comment.
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