A public works employee is on paid administrative leave after he allegedly used a city-owned phone, computer and car in activities as a prostitute, according to city documents.
The city began investigating Sherman Higdon and his activities during his work as an equipment operator in the emergency office in November after several of his coworkers noticed sexually explicit phone calls, text messages and images that were sent by local men to the department’s shared cellphone, according to information released by the city’s Human Resources office.
The documents say multiple city employees testified that the department phone, which is shared by all three shifts, received pictures of naked men and inquiries about a Craigslist ad.
Some employees also stated that Higdon, who worked alone during the night shift, regularly “wiped” the phone of all calls and texts sent or received while the phone was in his possession before handing it over to the next shift, a violation of policy since that material is public record. A total of seven employees were interviewed by Human Resources Compliance Officer Jay Piercy.
A forensic investigation conducted by the city’s Internal Audit Office also found “multiple male pornographic graphics” on a department computer, saved in a folder under Higdon’s login. However, investigators noted that the photos were not definitive proof that prostitution occurred.