Savannah GA April 14 2013 Retired Savannah-Chatham police major Douglas Burkhalter today was released from the Chatham County jail on a $10,000 bond pending further court action on a charge of computer child exploitation.
Jail officials confirmed Burkhalter, 70, had posted a total bond of $11,200 for release after Chatham County Recorder's Court Judge Harris Odell, Jr., set the bond during a hearing in chambers with attorneys prior to Burkhalter’s scheduled arraignment. The total bond includes costs.
A condition of the bond required Burkhalter to surrender all weapons in his possession to the Savannah-
Chatham police "for safe keeping," according to the bond order filed Thursday.
Because Burkhalter, represented by attorney Steven Scheer, posted bond, he will not be entitled to a preliminary hearing on the charge which now goes to Superior Court for presentation to a Chatham County grand jury for indictment.
The charge stems from material Burkahlter allegedly had at his home on Wednesday. He was one of a number of defendants served with child pornography warrants in 37 Georgia counties following a three-month investigation known as "Operation Guarding Innocence" by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed Wednesday.
Source-savannahnow.com