Councilman Charged With Child Sex Crimes Remains in Jail

ROSWELL, GA -- The Roswell City Council member who was arrested last week on child sex charges remains behind bars.

That's according to DeKalb County Jail records, which show Kent Allen Igleheart remains at the facility.

Igleheart was granted a $30,000 bond during a first appearance hearing in front of a Magistrate Court judge, but has yet to post the money to be released from the jail, those records show as of Friday.

Igleheart was arrested Thursday, Oct. 20 and charged sexual exploitation of children, enticing a child for indecent purposes and furnishing alcohol to a minor following a sting operation carried out at Northlake Mall.

According to police, Igleheart is accused engaging in inappropriate sexual activity with a 17-year-old female juvenile. The councilman, according to DeKalb police, allegedly initiated an online relationship with the victim when she was about 13 years old.

"During that time frame Igleheart is alleged to have engaged in inappropriate conversations and the exchange of nude photographs with the minor child," DeKalb police previously said.

Igleheart was arrested during an undercover operation where he allegedly arranged to meet the female victim at the mall. When he arrived, police say he had alcoholic beverages in tow. He was taken into custody by police, and investigators learned he also booked a hotel room at Days Inn on Northlake Parkway.

Igleheart, 53, represents Post 4 on the Roswell council. He was first elected in 2001, and his current term ends in December 2017.

Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, who is traveling outside the country on vacation, said earlier this week that the city "takes the conduct of its elected officials seriously."

"They are held to the highest of standards," he said in a prepared statement. "If the allegations against Councilman Kent Igleheart are true, the mayor and council will take the appropriate action per the City Charter."

Under Chapter 5, Section 110 of the city's charter, an elected official would forfeit his or her's right to hold office if he or she:

• is guilty of willful incompetence, misfeasance or malfeasance in office;
• is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude;
• fails at any time to possess any qualifications of office as provided by this chapter or by law
• willfully violates any express prohibition of the City Charter;
• abandons his office or neglects to perform the duties thereof;
• fails to perform the duties of office as required by the City Charter or by state law; and
• fails to attend three (3) consecutive meetings of city council, unless such absence is excused by the presiding officer of the council.

According to Section 120, Roswell leaders would have to initiate a vote to remove an elected official from office. That vote must include two-thirds of the entire membership of the council, and the mayor must cast a vote in the decision unless he or she is under consideration for removal.

The elected official subject to removal is required to receive a written notice outlying the grounds for removal and a public hearing has to be held no less than 10 days after the notice is received.

If removed from office, any elected official has a right to appeal the decision to the Fulton County Superior Court.

Image via DeKalb County Jail