Kemp suspends Rabun County sheriff after sexual assault charges

RABUN COUNTY, Georgia — Editor’s note: The above video is from a previous report on this story.

Rabun County Sheriff Chad Nichols was suspended by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp after the governor issued an executive order to that effect on Friday.

Nichols had previously turned himself in on May 31 for sexual assault and causing a public nuisance.

Last week, Kemp convened a committee to investigate his arrest – a group that included Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Morgan County Sheriff Robert Markley and Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum. The committee had 30 days to produce a report explaining why it was recommending Nichols’ suspension.

On Friday, the appointed committee sent Kemp its recommendation to suspend Nichols. Kemp suspended Nichols for 60 days, effective immediately.

As a condition of his $32,500 bail, he is barred from engaging in any law enforcement activity in his capacity as sheriff. However, he is currently running for re-election and faces a runoff election next week.

“This individual needs to appear in court, but there was obviously probable cause for arrest. That’s why we’re taking action now,” J. Terry Norris, executive director of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association, said previously of the investigation. “It weakens the public’s trust in law enforcement in general and the sheriff’s office in particular. The public’s trust in our profession has been shaken once again.”

Nichols has worked for the sheriff’s office since 1998.