GA Sheriff Accused Of Groping Woman Turns Himself In, Now Out On Bond: Reports

COBB COUNTY, GA — The Bleckley County sheriff accused of groping an Atlanta-area judge without her consent turned himself in Friday, but bonded out of jail after an hour, multiple news outlets reported.

Cobb County police issued an arrest warrant for 57-year-old Kristopher Coody, the Bleckley County sheriff, on Jan. 28. The warrant — which charged him with sexual battery — didn't become public until last Wednesday, Feb. 2 after an investigation.

Investigators said the incident happened Jan. 18 at the hotel, located on Galleria Parkway in the Cumberland area, and was reported to police the next day. Coody is accused of touching a woman's breast at the hotel bar without her consent. The woman is an Atlanta area judge, multiple news outlets reported.

The hotel was hosting the Georgia Sheriff's Association's three-day winter training conference at that time.

• Read more: Bleckley County Sheriff Charged With Sexual Battery In Cobb

Coody was out of state on a church-sponsored mission trip "that has been scheduled for nearly a year" when police made his arrest public, the Bleckley County Sheriff's Office said in a news release Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

“Sheriff Coody has been a law enforcement officer for more than two decades and has tremendous respect for our court system. He is taking these allegations seriously and will meet with the appropriate authorities as soon as he returns,” the release said.

He was booked into the Cobb County jail around 8:14 p.m. Friday, Fox 5 Atlanta reported, and released on a $1,000 bond an hour later. You can see the BCSO's full statement on WSB-TV's website.

Coody was a member of the Georgia State Patrol from 1998 to 2007, and has served as the Bleckley County sheriff since January 2017. Bleckley County is located about 30 miles southeast (about 48 kilometers) of Macon, encompassing the city of Cochran.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.