(AUBURN) – Charges have been filed against a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy in connection with an alleged rape that happened in September 2024.

Special Prosecutor D.J. Sigler of Whitley County filed charges against 29 year old Deputy Zachary Kerley following an investigation.

At the time of the alleged incident, Kerley was the School Resource Officer with the Garrett-Keyser-Butler Community School District. Online court records show the victim was an adult who worked for the school district.

Investigators discovered Kerley had met the woman in August 2024 during an outing in Garrett. It’s alleged that Kerley tried to do sexual things with the woman at that time, but she said no and left.

The woman told investigators that she kept talking with Kerley on Snapchat from what she called “flirty banter” to sending sexually explicit photos and messages.

Court documents say the two met in person on September 7 at an Auburn hotel where the woman was staying. The woman told police that she informed Kerley they would just be hanging out and that Kerley shouldn’t expect anything sexual to happen.

According to the woman, after Kerley entered her room, he allegedly forced himself on her. She says between 20 and 30 times she told him no, bur Kerley allegedly raped her.

Court records also show that Kerley told investigators while being interviewed in January that he was confused about what she wanted.

In a media release, DeKalb County Sheriff Brady Thomas says he became aware of the allegations in December 2024. He immediately requested an independent investigation by an outside law enforcement agency and placed Kerley on administrative leave.

Thomas says when he received the investigation results, Kerley was fired. He had been with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office for five years.

Charges were filed in DeKalb Superior Court on Friday. Kerley turned himself in at the DeKalb County Jail at 11:50 AM. He is being held without bond.