A former Dalton police officer won't serve any time behind bars after pleading guilty to computer invasion of privacy and violation of oath of office, both felonies.
Trevin Dane Stover, of Resaca, received five years probation, a $1,000 fine plus court costs and surcharges and 40 hours of community service work. He was sentenced last week. Stover had already surrendered his police officer standards and training certification, which was also a requirement of his sentence, Bert Poston, district attorney of the Conasauga Judicial Circuit, said in an email. The circuit covers Whitfield and Murray counties.
"Stover was a Dalton Police Department officer who followed a woman in her car and ran her car tag," Nelly Miles, a spokesperson for Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said. "He looked her up on social media, got her number and contacted her."
Miles said in an email that it was illegal for Stover to look up the woman's car tag. GBI conducted the investigation on the request of the Police Department, and Miles said Stover resigned the day the misconduct allegation was made to police.
Stover is also not allowed to have contact with the woman he illegally looked up and not allowed to be employed in law enforcement during his term of probation, Poston said.
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Bruce Frazier, communications director for the city of Dalton and Dalton Police Department, said Stover was hired by the Dalton Police Department on March 19, 2018, and resigned June 21 of last year.
"The investigation began as a citizen complaint, and he resigned when an internal inquiry began," Frazier said. "The PD asked the GBI to handle the criminal investigation, which they did."
If someone believes Dalton police officers have broken the law or police policy, they can file a complaint against the city's officers in person, by mail, or anonymously by phone or through an online form, Frazier said.
Stover was indicted June 30, and he pleaded guilty and was sentenced for both charges at his arraignment Sept. 20, Poston said. Stover was sentenced under Georgia's First Offender Act at his request. The Georgia First Offender Act allows some first-time offenders to avoid a felony conviction if certain court-determined requirements are met.
"As a first offender his adjudication of guilt is withheld while he's on probation," Poston said. "If he completes all terms and does not reoffend, he will not be a convicted felon when it's over. But if he violates, he could be resentenced up to the maximum of 20 years (15 on the computer count plus five on the oath of office)."
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Stover did not have an attorney, though Poston said a local attorney went over his rights form with him and, as a favor to the court, stood with him to answer any questions.
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659. Follow him on Twitter @tweetatwilkins.