In the wake of sexual assault allegations against U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, a small-town Alabama police chief took to Facebook this week to joke that he'd been molested by Moore's rival, Doug Jones.

Killen police Chief Bryan Hammond wrote on Facebook that "silence is consent" and made what he called "sarcastic" comments about Jones. The Jones campaign declined to comment.

"On another note, Doug Jones fondled me on a boy scout camping trip in 1978," Hammond wrote in a Facebook comment. "I wasn't gonna say anything, but I just couldn't stand the thought of him being a senator. I was ok with it until now. By the way, you can't see me right now but I'm crying as I type this."

Hammond also posted a photo of a yearbook signature purportedly from Jones. The photo shows this hand-written message: "Bryan, Thanks for the great time camping. Doug Jones."

In a phone interview with AL.com, Hammond said none of it was true, that he was making a joke.

Screenshots from Facebook

"That was sarcasm," the chief said.

But not all residents were amused.

"How does the public have any assurance that sexual assault is being handled properly in Killen, Alabama when the person in charge has such an attitude?" asked Josh Bogus, a former student of Brooks High School in Killen.

Bogus, who lives in neighboring Florence, contacted AL.com after seeing screenshots of the chief's Facebook comments.

Hammond's statements appeared on a thread of comments on a TV station article about Beverly Young Nelson, a woman who has accused Moore of trying to rape her in 1977 when she was 16 and he was 30-something. Nelson at a press conference with lawyer Gloria Allred earlier this week showed a yearbook that she claims Moore signed.

Click here to read AL.com's coverage of Roy Moore.

Hammond's comments appear on a Facebook post that was made by a woman on his friend list. The post, which shares a news article about Nelson, includes the phrases "Fake News" and "Vote Roy Moore!" It also shows American flag and heart emojis. The post was deleted after AL.com contacted Hammond Friday.

Hammond has been working in law enforcement for over two decades. His career at Killen began in 1998, according to the police department's website. Killen is a northwest Alabama town of about 1,000 in Lauderdale County.

"My concern is, how many people -- women or men -- who have come forward about sexual assault have not been taken seriously because that's the attitude the police chief has," Bogus said. "It scares me that the person who is in charge has that attitude."

When asked about the community's concerns regarding his views on sexual assault, Hammond said he didn't want to comment.

"It was just a friend that I had commented on her post," the chief said.

Nelson is one of several women who have made allegations against Moore. Another woman, Leigh Corfman told the Washington Post that when she was 14 in 1979 Moore took her to his home in Etowah County, took off her clothes and touched her over her bra and underpants.

Hammond said his comment that "silence is consent" has been misconstrued.

"It wasn't in reference to the women being silent," the chief said. He said his comment was aimed at a lack of outrage for allegations against Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.

Franken, a Democrat, was accused of groping and aggressively kissing sports broadcaster Leeann Tweeden. The allegations, which recently surfaced, stem from 2006, when they were rehearsing a skit for a USO show. That was two years before Franken - a former comedian - was elected to the Senate.

Franken was quick to acknowledge wrongdoing, a difference noted by the White House today when asked about Franken and about Moore. Moore has denied the allegations.

Hammond said he believes Moore is being targeted because of his affiliation with the Republican party.

"They don't have a problem with people unless they're from the other party," he said.

Bogus said he contacted AL.com because when he read the chief's comments he immediately thought of his younger cousin. When she was 15, she lived with Bogus's family.

"If something were to happen to her and she came forward, would Bryan Hammond believe her if the person she was accusing was a republican, or if she waited two weeks because she was scared?" Bogus asked.

Bogus said he is a Democrat.

"But sexual assault isn't a partisan issue," he said. "It's a human issue."