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Cherokee County Drops Obstruction Charges Against Woman Who Accused Deputy of Harassment
Prosecutors dropped two misdemeanor obstruction charges against Natasha Lopez after she obtained a 12-month stalking protective order against a former Cherokee County deputy she says harassed her online. The deputy was fired and the sheriff's office has asked the GBI to investigate.
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. â Prosecutors on Thursday dropped two misdemeanor obstruction charges against Natasha Lopez, the Cherokee County woman who accused a former sheriff's deputy of harassing her online, according to court records.
The solicitor general's office filed a nolle prosequi motion â a formal decision not to pursue the case â during a court hearing. The move came after Lopez obtained a 12-month stalking protective order from Cherokee Superior Court against Cpl. Charles Mills.
Lopez had filed a petition for the protective order against Mills, who was fired from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office following an internal investigation into her harassment claims. The sheriff's office said it found "sufficient evidence at this time to establish a violation of the Sheriff's Office Code of Conduct policy."
Mills had been placed on administrative leave during the investigation. Authorities said he created an anonymous Facebook page that Lopez claims was used to harass and target her. The page, which Lopez shared, contained personal information about her family and posted AI-generated content about her online after she challenged her arrest by Mills in August 2025.
The solicitor general spoke at a news conference Thursday to discuss the case.
The Cherokee Sheriff's Office has requested that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conduct an independent investigation into the matter.
The case has raised questions about accountability within the sheriff's office and the use of social media and artificial intelligence to intimidate members of the public. The dismissal of the charges against Lopez, coupled with the protective order and Mills' termination, marks a significant turn in a dispute that began with a routine arrest and escalated into allegations of online harassment by a law enforcement officer.
The GBI investigation remains pending.