GERMANTOWN, Tenn. – It was two days before Christmas and a 17-year old Houston High School student was visiting the home of a Shelby County Sheriff’s deputy.
It’s unclear why the girl was at the home, but it appears her father was aware she was there.
Around midnight Deputy William Franks brought the girl home, and sped off as soon as she got out of the car.
The girl didn’t have a key and apparently tried to enter her home through a doggie door.
Her parents heard her, asked questions, and called police.
Deputy William Franks told his superiors the teen was troubled and he and his wife were trying to help her.
During her visit to his home, Franks said the girl exposed herself to him.
He said, he told the girl the act was inappropriate, had her get dressed and brought her home.
Franks said he realized he should not have allowed the girl to be at his home, and that he should have made sure she was safely inside.
Franks also acknowledged in documents News Channel 3 obtained that he never reported the incident to the girl’s parents, because he didn’t want her to get into further trouble.
Franks only discussed the incident after the girl’s parents contacted police.
Franks works for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and is assigned to Houston High School where he worked as a resource officer.
Franks was removed from the school immediately after the incident.
At that point school officials, Germantown Police, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department would only report he was under investigation for something “inappropriate”.
In June, Franks was suspended for 30 days after the District Attorney’s office and Germantown Police didn’t find sufficient evidence to charge him with any type of crime.
Germantown Police won’t turn over reports to WREG detailing the parents complaint against of officer or explaining why the girl was at his home.
Germantown Police will not cite a reason why those documents are not being released.
Attorneys for Shelby County Government did release documents regarding Franks’ suspension once the investigation was completed.
The documents detailing his suspension and multiple sources close to the investigation revealed the details of the allegations he faced and his responses to them.
In those documents Franks said, “I didn’t want to get her into any further trouble, its one of those things I thought would go away.”
Franks went on to say ” I made a bad decision and I wish I could go back and change it.”
Franks will not return to Houston High and but will remain his job while being on permanent probation.
