Convicted child molester ends candidacy for public office in Athens

Photo by the Georgia Department of Corrections

By Joe Johnson

A former police officer with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department has apparently ended his campaign for a seat on the county commission.

Only a day after Classic City News published a story about his candidacy the campaign website for 37-year-old Kristin Matthew Ward went dark.

The Flagpole has reported that Ward issued a statement confirming that he had dropped out of the race to represent District 5 on the commission.

Ward in 2018 was convicted of molesting a 13-year-old boy while he was a police officer and supervised a local youth organization.

He was sentenced to 55 years in prison, but the conviction was overturned on appeal and he was released from prison in 2021.

He is currently waiting for a new trial.