A Gwinnett County Police officer is in jail without bond amid allegations he had sexual relations with a girl under the age of 16.
Gwinnett County jail records show that Patrick Benjamin Ventura, age 28 of Hoschton, was arrested early Saturday morning and faces charges of child molestation, sexual battery against a child under the age of 16 and violation of oath by a public officer.
A release from the Gwinnett County Police Department said the investigation began when Ventura's patrol supervisor noticed inconsistencies in his patrol activities. When the investigation raised allegations involving the young girl, the case was given to the department's special victims unit.
Police officials said Ventura has been served with a letter of intent to terminate his employment with the department. He was hired by the department in October of 2020 and graduated from training academy in spring of 2021 according to police officials. He served as an officer in the department's north precinct in Buford.
A statement in Saturday's release from the Gwinnett County Police Department said:
"The Gwinnett County Police Department works hard to provide excellent customer service to our community, and we hold one another to a high standard of personal conduct. Though the actions of Ventura do not represent the hard-working members of the Gwinnett County Police Department, we hold every one of our officers accountable for their actions."
