TAMPA, Fla. — The brother-in-law of two-time Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and the husband of Georgia Federal Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is facing human trafficking charges.
On Friday, Jimmie Gardner, 57, was arrested in Tampa, Florida after a 16-year-old girl said she had been involved in sexual acts with him inside a hotel room.
Tampa police say the teenage girl told them that Gardner contacted her just before 1:45 a.m. and invited her to his hotel room, and she accepted.
Once there, Gardner reportedly offered the girl money for sex. She initially agreed, but when she changed her mind, she said he became angry and began choking her.
After he stopped and left the hotel room, she called 911.
By the time police arrived, Gardner was gone. He was arrested just a few hours later, according to jail records.
He’s charged with human trafficking, lewd or lascivious touching of a minor and battery.