Chattanooga Police Officer Charles Andrew Brock
Charles BrockA Chattanooga police officer who was arrested and charged with domestic assault in December may have solicited prostitutes for a number of months in 2014, according to emails and photos obtained by the Times Free Press.
Someone using Officer Charles Andrew Brock's name, personal email address and cell phone number exchanged messages with multiple women discussing prices, where and when to meet, and how well the visits went.
The messages the newspaper obtained begin in July 2014 and end in December 2014. Some are emails from Brock's personal account, while others are private messages posted on a website called "USA Sex Guide," an online forum where men trade information, reviews and tips about women with whom they've had sex.
The Chattanooga Police Department's internal affairs division is investigating the allegations, spokeswoman Elisa Myzal confirmed Tuesday. That investigation began on Jan. 10, when police were first alerted to the prostitution-related allegations.
Brock, an officer since 2008, is now on paid administrative leave, Myzal said. He is already under investigation for domestic assault, charged with attacking his wife on Christmas Day. That internal affairs investigation began on Dec. 27.
In Hamilton County General Sessions Court, the domestic assault charge was bound over to a grand jury on Monday after Brock waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
Brock declined to comment Tuesday on the prostitution allegations, said his attorney, Janie Parks Varnell.
At one point in the online messages, the person using Brock's accounts canceled a meeting with a woman because, he said, his wife was supposed to be out of town but her plans changed.
In another exchange, a woman asks the person to prove he is not a cop by providing his employer's phone number so the woman can call and verify he works there. The person balks, and instead asks the woman if she would accept references from two other people.
The person claims to be a stay-at-home dad, tells her he'll provide a photo ID and says there are "other things I can do when I get there to prove im [sic] not a cop."
In most instances, patronizing prostitution is a Class B misdemeanor that can result in up to six months in jail and a fine, according to state law. However, Tennessee's statute of limitations requires any criminal prosecution of misdemeanors to start within a year of the alleged crime.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyBradbury.