Sandy Springs police are asking the public to help identify a man wanted in connection with an ongoing sexual battery investigation, releasing both an original store security image and a professionally enhanced version of his face. Investigators say one of the two photos was captured by a store security camera, while a professional image-enhancement company restored the second to sharpen the suspect's features for a clearer view.
The appeal, first reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, went out as part of the Sandy Springs Police Department's recurring “Wanted Wednesday” social media feature, a weekly effort that posts security photos of unidentified suspects to generate public leads, according to the Sandy Springs Police Department. Police have not named the suspect publicly, and they have not released a detailed physical description or disclosed the date, time, or business where the incident occurred.
Detective Nanoff is leading the investigation for the department, per the FOX 5 Atlanta report. Anyone with information can call investigators directly at 770-551-6923 or email [email protected]. People with immediate information on the man's current whereabouts are urged to call 911 instead, and authorities have explicitly warned the public not to approach or attempt to contact the suspect themselves.
What Georgia Law Says About Sexual Battery Charges
Under Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 16-6-22.1, sexual battery is defined as intentionally making physical contact with the intimate parts of another person without consent, and it is generally classified as a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature, according to Justia Law. A conviction on that baseline charge can carry up to 12 months in county jail and fines as high as $5,000.
The charge escalates significantly under certain circumstances. Georgia law elevates sexual battery to a felony punishable by one to five years in prison if the victim is a child under 16 or if the offender has a prior sexual battery conviction, and a felony conviction may trigger mandatory registration on the Georgia Sex Offender Registry, according to the Law Office of Ahmad R. Crews. That registry status imposes ongoing housing and employment restrictions across the state. No details in this case establish whether either escalating factor applies here.
A Department Built Around Public Tips and New Infrastructure
Sandy Springs has operated its own police force since 2006, when the city established an independent department after separating from Fulton County police coverage. The agency, now staffing around 152 full-time officers, accepts non-emergency reports at 770-551-6900 and anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477, per the Sandy Springs Police Foundation.
The department, led by Chief Kenneth DeSimone since 2013, consolidated its operations into a new $56 million, 170,000-square-foot headquarters on Morgan Falls Road in April 2025, replacing four separate office park locations to streamline investigations and evidence handling, Reporter Newspapers reported. The city council also approved accepting more than $1.6 million in state-administered federal grant funding last year to support staffing and technology for the department's Violent Crime Reduction Team, funded through the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget.
How This Case Fits Into Local and National Crime Trends
Sandy Springs' own crime statistics show reported rape cases dipped slightly from 19 in 2023 to 18 in 2024, even as total violent crime in the city rose 5%, from 134 to 141 incidents, and total reported person crimes climbed 25% year-over-year. Those local numbers stand in contrast to statewide trends: FBI data released in August 2025 showed Georgia experienced a 10.5% decrease in violent crime from 2023 to 2024, including a 12.4% drop in reported rape offenses, which federal and state officials attributed to targeted multi-agency enforcement.
Sexual battery cases nationally are believed to be significantly underreported. Bureau of Justice Statistics data published in 2025 indicates that less than a quarter, 23.6%, of sexual assault and battery incidents in the United States were reported to law enforcement, according to the Sexual Assault Response Center, which points to privacy concerns and fear of reprisal as significant barriers. Sandy Springs police have handled sexual battery cases tied to local businesses before, including an October 2020 arrest of a medical practitioner accused of non-consensual touching at a Concourse Parkway clinic, when officers similarly urged potential additional victims to come forward, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported at the time.
For now, the investigation remains open, and police have not disclosed the specific business, date, or time tied to this case, or a physical description of the man they are seeking. Anyone who recognizes him is asked to contact Detective Nanoff at 770-551-6923 or by email, while those who spot him should call 911 rather than approach him directly.
