Police: Valdosta State U. Dean Arrested in Child Sex Crime Sting

Valdosta State University Dean Keith Andrew was arrested over the weekend during a child sex crime sting operation conducted by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

According to a local news report, Dean Keith Andrew Walters of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia, was arrested over the weekend during a sting operation conducted by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The operation, which was called “Operation Broken Arrow,” resulted in the arrest and charging of 14 people. Each of the 14 communicated online with undercover agents that they believed were children. Those that were charged in the investigation then traveled to meet the child but were greeted instead by police officers.

Walters was the dean of Valdosta State University’s College of Science and Mathematics prior to his arrest during “Operation Broken Arrow.” Walters was immediately stripped of his university titles as soon as news of his arrest was made public.

Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said that the operation was a success. “I was very excited about the operation and it was very fruitful. We got 14 people off the streets. I don’t care where they come from as long as we get them away from our children and get them in jail. I have five children, they’re grown but they have children that live here and it’s a bad situation, something that really needs to be looked at. I look forward to working with them on some more cases,” Paulk said.

The university claims that they conducted a background check on Walters when he was hired. At the time, Walters did not have any offenses on his record.

“A detailed background check was done. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you’ll catch everything. It just means there was no legal action before this,” the president of the university said. “Bad people can still do bad things.”

In a separate incident, Jackson State University President William Bynum Jr. was arrested in Mississippi on prostitution charges this week.