Peach Tree Times

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's campaign is criticizing opponent David Perdue for an ad featuring a child pornography suspect.

The ad in dispute features video of Perdue shaking hands with former Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Grady Sanford, who was arrested on child pornography charges more than a year ago.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation launched a probe of Sanford's internet activity in November 2020, after the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported that images of child sexual abuse had been uploaded to the internet, the story said.

During course of the investigation, authorities tracked the email used to Sanford's address in Canton, Fox 5 reported.

The footage used in Perdue's ad was shot in August 2019 during a visit made by then U.S. Sen. Perdue to Mashburn Elementary School in Cumming, the station reported. Kemp's wife, First Lady Marty Kemp was also on the school tour.

"David Perdue should immediately take down this TV ad that highlights him  shaking hands with a child predator and apologize to the victims of  Grady Sanford's atrocious criminal behavior," Cody Hall, Director of Communications and Senior Advisor for the Kemp campaign, said in a statement. "Perdue's use of this footage to score political points for his failing campaign is absolutely reprehensible. Georgians deserve better in their Governor."

A spokesman for Perdue called the clip "an ad footage mistake" and said it has been removed.

Perdue is challenging Kemp, who is seeking a second term as governor. Perdue was defeated for re-election to the Senate in 2020 by Raphael Warnock, a prominent Atlanta minister.