ATLANTA – The family of a Gwinnett County teenager is suing the city of Atlanta and a former Atlanta police officer over what they say is a history of ignoring sexual predators within the Atlanta Police Department.

The lawsuit stems from the 2023 arrest of Officer Anthony Anderson after he reportedly forced the 16-year-old to give him oral sex while she was recovering from an earlier car crash.

The backstory:

Police say Anderson met the girl while responding to a single-car crash early in the morning of Aug. 2, 2023. Investigators with the Atlanta Police Department’s Special Victims Unit said the assault happened after his shift later that day.

In the lawsuit, the family alleges that Anderson called off medical personnel who were responding to the scene, took the girl in his squad car to a nearby gas station, and then picked her up after he clocked out of work.

“Under the pretense of offering to drive her home, Anderson took a detour, drove to a secluded section of roadway to avoid detection, and forced Plaintiff Z.A. to perform oral sex 
upon him,” the lawsuit reads.

After the assault, Anderson dropped the girl off in front of her parents’ home.

The 16-year-old reported the assault her guidance counselor to Gwinnett County police later that day. That started the investigation that eventually ended with Anderson’s arrest.

Anthony L. Anderson  (Atlanta Police Department)

“Not only am I disturbed and disappointed by these allegations, but it also angers me,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said after the arrest. “We ask the public to trust us to do the right thing, to keep them safe. So, when one of our own is accused of despicable acts with a minor, it erodes that trust that sometimes takes years to build.  You can be assured, I will act swiftly to investigate anytime allegations of misconduct are brought to my attention. I want to thank the Atlanta Police Department’s criminal investigation division for their prompt action in dealing with this matter.”

Anderson was charged with oath of office, cruelty to children, aggravated sexual battery, and aggravated sodomy. After pleading guilty to improper sexual conduct by an employee or agent, making false statements, concealing facts, and violating his oath earlier this year, he was sentenced to six years in prison.

Police records show Anderson had been with the department since March 2016.

What they’re saying:

As part of the lawsuit, attorneys accused the Atlanta Police Department of negligent hiring practices and of handling instances of sexual misconduct by officers internally.

“The overwhelming rate at which APD officers engage in sexual misconduct while on the job is the result of negligent hiring, training, supervision and promotions, creating a laissez-faire attitude within the APD that assaulting, battering, falsely imprisoning, and raping civilians was—and still is—acceptable, reinforced, and encouraged.” the lawsuit reads.

As part of their argument, the complaint names multiple officers starting in 2004 who were charged with sexual assault and rape. 

The latest case referenced was in 2024 and involves a former APD officer who is facing charges of enticing a child for indecent purposes in Richmond County.

In that case, a spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department says Benjamin Travis Hopson had been “relieved from duty and placed in a non-enforcement, administrative assignment on May 18, 2023,” but the reasons were not specified.

“As alleged/ herein, sexual misconduct by APD officers is neither novel nor rare and is rather reflective of a history, pattern, practice, and de facto policy within the APD,” the lawsuit reads.

The family’s lawyers also accuse the city of failing to properly supervise officers after repeated violations and of concealing investigation from the public.

What’s next:

The lawsuit said that the teen’s life had “fallen to pieces” after her experience with Anderson, leading her to need “significant professional and psychological support and intervention” as she prepares to graduate.

They are asking for a jury trial and damages, including attorney fees.