Roswell Mayor Breaks Silence About Councilman's Arrest

ROSWELL, GA -- Roswell's longtime mayor has weighed in on his colleague's arrest on child sex charges in DeKalb County.

Mayor Jere Wood Monday afternoon released a statement saying "the city of Roswell takes the conduct of its elected officials seriously."

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

Igleheart was arrested Oct. 20 and charged with 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 in DeKalb County.

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.

The DeKalb County Police Department's Special Victims Unit arrested Igleheart following its investigation into "inappropriate sexual behavior" alleged by a 17-year-old female victim.

According to police, the councilman started an online relationship with the victim when she was about 13 years old. During that time, Igleheart is accused of engaging in "inappropriate conversations" and exchanging nude photographs with the child, the agency said.

With that information in hand, detectives initiated an undercover operation Oct. 20.

Igleheart allegedly arranged to meet the female victim at Northlake Mall and when he arrived at the shopping center, he was taken into custody by investigators.

Major Stephen Fore said Igleheart allegedly arrived at the mall with alcoholic beverages on his person.

Those detectives also learned the elected official rented a hotel room at Days Inn on Northlake Parkway, and search warrant was executed at the room as well as his Roswell home, Fore stated.

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

Image via DeKalb County Jail