Athens police officer charged with taking sexually explicit photos of children

Amber Ferguson was recognized in August for saving the life of a drowning child

A woman who was fired on Tuesday from the Athens police force was arrested today by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The police department fired the officer upon being notified that warrants had been obtained by the state law enforcement agency, which today released the following:

The GBI has arrested and charged Amber Nicole Ferguson, age 33, of Commerce, GA, with two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children. She turned herself in to the Jackson County Jail on January 15, 2025 at 8:00 a.m.

Ferguson, formerly an officer with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, is accused of taking sexually explicit photographs of a child. The City of Commerce Police Department requested GBI assistance on Sunday, December 1, 2024, after a complaint was filed by a family member.

Ferguson’s Jackson County Jail mugshot

This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI regional investigative office in Athens at 706-552-2309. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Piedmont Judicial Circuit for prosecution.