Georgia House Candidate Andre Stafford Charged With Child Molestation

Georgia House Candidate Faces Felony Charges Over Bus Stop Incident

Andre Lamar Stafford, a candidate running for the Georgia House in District 42, is facing felony child molestation and misdemeanor public indecency charges after being accused of exposing himself to a child near a Smyrna bus stop. According to a Cobb County arrest warrant detailed by cbsnews.com, the incident occurred on the morning of October 15 as the young girl walked toward her school bus.

Investigators state that a man in a gray sedan pulled up beside the child between 8:22 a.m. and 8:27 a.m. near Lakes Edge Drive SE and Hillsdale Parkway. According to the warrant, the driver told the child she was pretty before exposing himself and touching himself. The driver then left the area.

License Plate Cameras and Photo Lineups Point to Candidate

Smyrna Police traced the vehicle using data from a Flock license plate reader at a nearby apartment complex, which recorded a gray 2024 Kia Forte arriving at the location at 8:11 a.m. Vehicle records showed the car was registered to Stafford. Detectives subsequently used Stafford’s driver’s license photo in a photographic lineup, and the child identified him as the driver, cbsnews.com reported.

🚨 BREAKING: Georgia House GOP candidate Andre Stafford was just arrested for child molestation. pic.twitter.com/gnLFbYo6Ki

— https://x.com/GOP__Ls/status/2115097620817338664

A Cobb County magistrate issued the arrest warrant on October 22, and Smyrna Police arrested Stafford the same day. Court documents show that Cobb County Magistrate Court Judge Quinn M. Kasper denied bond, ruling that Stafford posed a danger to the community. However, jail records subsequently showed that Stafford had been released from the Cobb County Jail, though available reporting does not establish the precise legal basis or circumstances for his release.

Refusal to Leave the Race Ahead of the Election

The charges arrive just one week before the November 3 election, leaving a narrow window for the legal process to unfold before voters cast their ballots in the District 42 contest, where Stafford is challenging Democratic incumbent Gabriel Sanchez. When asked by IBTimes UK whether he would withdraw from the race, Stafford denied wrongdoing and stated, “I have no reason to drop out, I am innocent.”

Stafford has also volunteered on other Republican campaigns across the state this year, including the congressional campaign of Mike Collins, who is running to challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. Responding to the candidate’s involvement, Collins told IBTimes UK, “Mr. Stafford has volunteered on many campaigns across the state this year, including ours. The charges are sickening, and if they’re true then he belongs on a list and behind bars.”

The allegations have not been proven in court, and Stafford has not been convicted of a crime. Under Georgia law, specifically Section 16-6-4 of the Georgia Code, the felony child molestation charge covers an immoral or indecent act committed in the presence of a child under 16 with the intent to satisfy sexual desires, and does not require physical contact in every case. Whether those legal criteria are met remains for the court system to determine as the November 3 election approaches.