Gov. Brian Kemp has recently criticized David Perdue, a fellow gubernatorial candidate for governor of Georgia, for a campaign ad that featured a current suspect for child pornography, | Brian Kemp/Twitter
Gov. Brian Kemp has recently criticized David Perdue, a fellow gubernatorial candidate for governor of Georgia, for a campaign ad that featured a current suspect for child pornography, | Brian Kemp/Twitter
Gov. Brian Kemp has recently criticized David Perdue, a fellow gubernatorial candidate for governor of Georgia, for a campaign ad that featured a current suspect charged with child pornography, according to a Fox News report.
Forsyth County Sheriff Grady Sanford, who was jailed for child pornography in 2020, is seen shaking hands with Perdue in the commercial.
"David Perdue should immediately take down this TV ad that highlights him shaking hands with a child predator and apologize to the victims of Grady Sanford's atrocious criminal behavior," said Cody Hall, director of communications and senior adviser for the Kemp campaign. "Perdue's use of this footage to score political points for his failing campaign is absolutely reprehensible."
However, a Perdue spokesperson responded that the footage was added by mistake and that the video has been withdrawn.
The video features footage taken during Perdue's August 2019 visit to Mashburn Elementary School in Cumming.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation into Sanford's online activities in November 2020, after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's discovery of photos of child sexual abuse on the internet.
On Nov. 10, 2020, Sanford was arrested and charged with two counts of distributing child pornography after investigators traced an email sent to Sanford's Canton address.
Sanford's case is still ongoing, according to the Cherokee County clerk of court, and no court date has been announced.
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