Second officer charged with sexual assault of a female
inmate
MARIETTA — A second sergeant with the Cobb County Sheriff’s
Office has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting an inmate.
Sgt. Kristopher David Travitz of Douglasville, a 14-year
veteran with the agency, was arrested Saturday and charged with sexually
assaulting a female inmate, according to a criminal warrant.
The incident occurred between Oct. 21, 2010, and March 7,
2011, in a vehicle while the inmate was being transported from one building to
another at the Cobb County Jail, Sheriff Neil Warren said.
Travitz, 37, served as supervisor over the work release
program at the time of the alleged incident.
Travitz was immediately fired Saturday, Warren said. He is
now being held without bond in the Bartow County jail.
The case follows the Jan. 17 arrest of Sgt. Blake
Sutherland, who was charged with aggravated sexual battery and sexual assault
of an inmate after she complained to authorities.
Warren launched an investigation, which resulted in
Sutherland’s arrest and termination.
Sutherland, whose bond was revoked, is being held in the
Douglas County jail.
At the time, Warren told the Marietta Daily Journal he would
find out how the assault happened. During the course of the investigation,
Warren said investigators heard rumors that led them to question another woman,
who had since been released from custody.
“We had to seek her out once we found out about this
information,” Warren said. “She told our investigators during the interviews
what took place.”
When questioned about the 2010 incident, Travitz allegedly
lied to investigators that the inmate never visited him at his house. In fact,
a GPS tracker attached to her ankle by Cobb Drug Court revealed that she was at
his house for about 45 minutes, according to the warrant.
Warren said potential employees are subjected to rigorous
background checks, including a psychological evaluation.
“There was nothing, nothing in their backgrounds to indicate
he or Sutherland, either one, had an issue being — I’m going to say acting in a
perverted way because to me it is perverted,” Warren said. “I’m embarrassed.
I’m embarrassed for the dedicated men and women of the Cobb County Sheriff’s
Office. They work hard, and this looks so bad, and I know it does, and I’m not
going to stand for it, and I’m going to continue to find out why it’s
happening, and if it’s happening, I can assure you I’m going to bring it to the
forefront and do my best to have them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law.”
In addition to sexual assault by a law enforcement employee,
Travitz is charged with violation of oath by a public officer, aggravated
sexual battery, false statements or writings, concealment of facts or
fraudulent documents in matters of government. All are felonies.