HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — A former county sheriff’s deputy was arrested in Georgia on Wednesday and charged with raping a woman while he was on duty, officials said.
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Nakia Benefield, 49, who served as a school resource deputy at Northside High School in Warner Robins, a city of about 80,000 in central Georgia, faces charges of rape, aggravated sexual battery, false imprisonment and violation of oath of office, according to Houston County jail records and arrest warrants obtained by TV station 13WMAZ.
Warner Robins Police responded to a sexual assault call on May 18 and identified Benefield as a suspect after surveillance footage from the victim’s home linked him to the incident, Houston County Sheriff Matt Moulton said.
Benefield was on duty at the time, Moulton said.
“He intentionally left his Mobile Data Terminal at the school … and when he got near the residence where the incident allegedly occurred, he turned off his portable radio,” Moulton said. “That’s how we track our deputies. That’s how we find them if something goes wrong.”
Moulton said Benefield had juvenile court the morning of May 18 and went to the victim’s home instead of returning to Northside High School. Before arriving, Moulton said, Benefield left his mobile data terminal — the computer in his patrol car — at the school and turned off his police radio near the scene, disabling the GPS tracking used by the department to monitor deputies in the field.
He also failed to notify a supervisor that he was leaving campus, Moulton said.
Arrest warrants signed by the Warner Robins Police Department also allege Benefield locked the victim in a bedroom and held her there without her consent and against her will.
Moulton said the alleged assault did not occur on school grounds and did not involve students or staff at Northside High School.
He said the sheriff’s office launched an internal affairs investigation alongside the Warner Robins Police Department’s criminal investigation. Benefield was placed on administrative leave with pay May 18 after Moulton said the allegations were strong enough to remove him from duty immediately.
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“He was immediately called to the office and placed on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation,” Moulton said.
He said the internal affairs investigation found multiple policy violations. Benefield was suspended without pay May 19 and given ten days to appeal. He did not file an appeal, and his termination became effective June 1, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Based off those policy violations, I made the decision to terminate Deputy Benefield before I even learned the outcome of the criminal investigation,” Moulton said.
According to the sheriff’s office, Benefield was hired by the Houston County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 and had no prior disciplinary history. He was arrested at his residence Tuesday morning without incident and transported to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office detention center, where he is currently being held.
Moulton said Benefield is the fourth sheriff’s office employee in less than three weeks to be terminated and criminally charged.
“None of us are above the law,” Moulton said. “If you deviate from policy, if you deviate from standard procedure, if you violate the law, you’re going to be held accountable. And that is the clearest message I can send.”
The Houston County District Attorney’s office is prosecuting the case. No court date has been set.
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