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Georgia policeman charged with raping woman on way to jail

Posted at 6:18 PM, Sep 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-08 20:18:09-04

Lauren Leslie

(CNN) — A Georgia police officer is accused of raping a woman while he was transporting her to a jail in an Atlanta suburb, state authorities say.

Former Riverdale Police officer James Larry Robinson Jr., 36, of Jonesboro is charged with rape and sexual assault against a person in custody. He appeared in court Wednesday, and bond was denied, according to the Clayton County Court clerk’s office.

The alleged victim made the complaint against the officer August 7, prompting a Georgia Bureau of Investigation inquiry, said GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles.

The woman says Robinson was taking her from the Riverdale Police Department to the Clayton County Jail when he pulled alongside an empty building and assaulted her, according to CNN affiliate WSB.

The building is next to a custom tire shop, and workers there say the upset woman came by the shop and requested footage from their security cameras, WSB reported.

Riverdale police requested the GBI investigate the incident. Robinson turned himself in without incident Tuesday, the same day he was terminated from the force, Miles said.

Robinson remains in Clayton County Jail on no bond, according to inmate records.

CNN’s calls to the Riverdale Police Department; Robinson’s defense attorney, Keith Martin; and the police union, the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, were not immediately returned.