Republican Andre Stafford denies wrongdoing after police accused him of exposing himself to a girl walking to her school bus stop.
SMYRNA, Ga. — A Republican candidate for the Georgia House faces a felony child molestation charge and a misdemeanor public indecency charge days before the Nov. 3 election after police accused him of exposing himself to a girl walking to her school bus stop.
Andre Lamar Stafford, who is challenging Democratic state Rep. Gabriel Sanchez in Georgia House District 42, was arrested Oct. 22 in connection with an alleged Oct. 15 encounter in Smyrna, according to an arrest warrant and local court reporting. Stafford told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he is innocent. The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court.
According to the Cobb County arrest warrant, the girl was walking near Lakes Edge Drive SE and Hillsdale Parkway between about 8:22 and 8:27 a.m. when a driver in a gray sedan pulled alongside her. Police allege the driver made a comment about her appearance and exposed himself before driving away. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the girl’s age, and news organizations have withheld identifying information about her.
Investigators said they used a Flock automated license plate reader near the area to identify a gray 2024 Kia Forte that had entered a nearby residential complex shortly before the reported encounter. Police traced the vehicle to Stafford, according to the warrant. Investigators then included Stafford’s driver’s license photograph in a photo lineup, and police said the girl identified him as the driver.
Stafford was initially denied bond in Cobb County Magistrate Court after Judge Quinn M. Kasper found that he posed a danger to the community, according to court records cited by FOX 5 Atlanta. Jail records later showed that Stafford was released from custody over the weekend. Local news organizations have reported different figures for his bond, and a definitive amount was not consistently reflected across the reports reviewed.
The arrest came less than two weeks before Georgia’s Nov. 3 general election. Stafford is the Republican nominee for House District 42, which includes parts of Smyrna and Cobb County. He is running against Sanchez, the Democratic incumbent. Stafford remained a candidate in the race as of the latest reporting, and he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was innocent but declined to discuss the allegations further.
The case also drew attention because Stafford has participated in Republican political activities beyond his state House campaign. Atlanta News First reported that he had appeared in photographs with several prominent Georgia Republicans and had volunteered for other campaigns. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins said Stafford had volunteered with his campaign and condemned the allegations while emphasizing that they had not been proven. Political associations do not establish involvement in or knowledge of the alleged conduct.
Police have not publicly released additional evidence beyond the allegations described in the warrant, including the license plate reader information and the photo identification. Authorities also have not announced whether additional charges are being considered. No trial date or final resolution of the criminal case had been reported as of Wednesday.
The criminal case and the election are proceeding on separate tracks. Stafford remains accused, not convicted, of the charges filed against him, while voters in House District 42 are scheduled to choose between him and Sanchez on Nov. 3. Further court proceedings are expected to determine how the allegations move forward.
Author note: Last updated October 28, 2026.