A Franklin County man faces charges of filing a false report following a TBI investigation into a sexual assault allegation made against a lieutenant at the Bedford County Sheriff's Office.
The alleged false report was made to the Tennessee Department of Children's Services' Child Abuse Hotline, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesman Josh DeVine said Thursday in a news release. The TBI received a request Sept. 29 from District Attorney General Rob Carter for the probe to investigate a sexual assault allegation made against a lieutenant at the Bedford County Sheriff's Office.
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"During the investigation, agents determined the tip was bogus, that no sexual assault occurred and identified the man responsible for it as George Rayburn Martin," DeVine said in the release.
Martin, 40, of Cowan, is charged with one count of filing a false report and one count of false reporting of child sexual abuse, according to authorities. Martin was served the charges Tuesday at Bedford County Jail where he is being held on unrelated charges, DeVine said.
Jail officials said Martin's other charges are stalking, assault and harassment. His next scheduled court appearance is set for Jan. 19 in Bedford County General Sessions Court, court officials said. He has no attorney on record, officials said.
Bedford County Sheriff Austin Swing could not immediately be reached for comment on Martin's arrest.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton.