A former Northern Kentucky University professor was arrested in a child sex sting in Georgia last weekend, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
Keith Walters, 44, was one of 14 men arrested after they communicated online with undercover agents believing they were minors and traveled to meet them for sex, according to GBI Assistant Special Agent Lindsay Marchant.
A statement from NKU said Walters was a former chair of NKU's Chemistry and Biochemistry department and that he "voluntarily left the university" in June 2019 after accepting a position with Valdosta State University.
"During his tenure, the university did not receive any allegations of inappropriate conduct,” NKU said.
Last June, Walters became dean of the College of Science and Mathematics at Valdosta State in Valdosta, Georgia. The sting operation was centered in that city, according to the GBI release.
Walters is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children and three counts of electronically furnishing obscene materials to minors, according to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office.
"In some of these cases, the subject introduced obscene or lewd content, often exposing the minor (UC) to pornography or requesting the child take nude or pornographic images for them," according to a GBI release.
Valdosta State put Walters on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, according to CNN.
No bond or court appearance has been set for Walters, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office said.
Those arrested ranged in age from 24 to 57 and traveled from areas around South Georgia, the GBI said.
