An FBI employee is innocent of rape and sexual battery charges allegedly stemming from a night out with an Atlanta woman, his attorney said Wednesday.
Christopher T. Paul, of Coral Springs, Fla., went out for drinks with a longtime friend while visiting Atlanta in late February, a police report states. The woman later told police she blacked out, but woke up to find Paul assaulting her. Paul was arrested last week in Louisiana and returned to Atlanta on Tuesday.
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“I acknowledge that the allegations against my client Mr. Christopher Paul are very serious,” attorney Andre Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We will not try this case in the media. My client is innocent and absolutely not guilty of these charges.
“We thoroughly believe that at the conclusion of this case Mr. Paul will be exonerated and can move on with a productive life.”
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Paul was denied bond at his first court appearance Wednesday morning. He will remain in jail until his preliminary hearing, scheduled for March 27 at 9:30 a.m.
Paul works for the FBI and is based in Miami. But neither the FBI nor his attorney would confirm his role for the agency. The FBI said Monday it is investigating the allegations against Paul and cooperating with Atlanta police.
“This matter has been referred to the FBI Inspection Division, Internal Affairs Section in Washington, DC, as well as the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General,” the FBI said.
Paul was being held Wednesday afternoon at the Fulton County jail.
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