TBI agents have recovered two nude photographs of a woman taken by Metro Police Sergeant Rob Forrest while he was being paid by taxpayers to protect Mayor Megan Barry.
That detail is contained in a new search warrant filed Wednesday, seeking permission from a judge to search phones belonging to Forrest and Barry.
TBI agent Joshua Savely said in his affidavit that the face of the woman is not visible in the photographs recovered from Metro Police emails.
Security Video Shows Mayor, Bodyguard During Early-Morning Cemetery Visits
Those photos appear to have been taken on Forrest's city-issued iPhone, then deleted, the affidavit says.
Still, Savley wrote that a separate picture recovered from Forrest's phone shows Barry wearing clothing similar to items visible in one of the nude photos. Barry can also be seen carrying a purse similar to one that appears in another nude picture.
"Your affiant believes that probable cause exists to show that Rob Forrest used a department issued iPhone 6s Plus while on duty," Savley wrote.
"It will also show that on May 15, 2017, and on October 18, 2017, he used this phone to photograph a nude or partially nude female. It will also show that Rob Forrest's timecards report that he was working while these photographs were taken.
"Your affiant believes probable cause exists to show that Rob Forrest was indeed not working at the time [those photographs] were taken but was rather participating in the affair with Megan Barry at these time."
Special Section:
City Hall Scandal
Mayor Barry issued a statement Thursday afternoon, saying she did not know the photos were taken.
“The allegations of photos taken of myself are very troubling and infuriating if true. While I have not seen the photos in question, if they were of me, they were taken without my knowledge or permission and a complete invasion of my privacy.
“Nothing in the affidavits released today, which should have been sealed until the conclusion of this investigation, indicates that I have committed any actions that violate the law. If any violations of the law occurred, they were in violating my personal rights.
“We will continue to cooperate with the ongoing TBI investigation, but the release of this affidavit to the media in an attempt to politically damage or embarrass me is an example of why I will continue to protect my personal rights in this process.”
About the news today, I honestly don't know how to react. I feel stunned. My legal training says "a warrant only means one judge found probable cause that there may be a crime" & "innocent until proven guilty", but is that the right standard for trusting a Mayor?
— Bob Mendes (@mendesbob) February 22, 2018
Stay with NewsChannel 5 for new details.
