Nicole Young

nyoung@mtcngroup.com

New details emerged Wednesday in the case of a former Greenbrier police chief facing child rape and aggravated sexual battery charges.

During an interview at the Robertson County Child Advocacy Center on July 8, the alleged victim in the case, a 10-year-old girl, told authorities she was molested by Kevin Richards, 49, of Greenbrier, sometime in late March, according to affidavits obtained Wednesday from Robertson County General Session Court.

The Robertson County Times does not identify victims of sexual assault.

Richards sexually assaulted the girl three times that day, and each time she asked him to stop, according to the affidavits.

Richards was booked into the Robertson County Jail on the child rape and aggravated sexual assault charges Tuesday morning. He was later released on $100,000 bond, according to the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office website.

Richards left the Greenbrier Police Department in September after accepting a job with the state, according to Greenbrier Police Chief K.D. Smith.

He was listed Tuesday as a full-time manager in the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, according to online state records.

The Greenbrier Police Department was first alerted to the allegations against Richards on Friday, when investigators received a telephone call from the Robertson County Child Advocacy Center and the Department of Children’s Services, Smith said.

“I was shocked and concerned,” Smith said. “Of course, as a chief, you don’t want to hear of a case like this, where you have to worry about whether it’s on one of your current or former employees.”

Richards was in good standing with the Greenbrier Police Department when he submitted his resignation last fall, Smith said. He added that he had not spoken to Richards since he was charged.

The incidents leading to the charges occurred within the city limits of Greenbrier, court records show.

“We’re going to work this case just like we work any other child assault case that comes in,” Smith said late Tuesday.

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Richards had worked for the Greenbrier Police Department for about 20 years at the time of his resignation, records show.

He was named Greenbrier’s interim police chief in February 2014 after the resignation of the department’s former chief Richard Hatfield and was considered for the permanent chief’s position by the Greenbrier Board of Mayor and Aldermen, but Smith was ultimately hired for the job and took office in July 2014.

Richards served as assistant chief under Smith until January 2015, when he was reclassified as the department’s deputy chief, overseeing administration. Randy Pack was named deputy chief overseeing operations at that same time.