A former director of the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been arrested in New York on a sex abuse charge.

The New York Police Department says Thomas Frieden, who also is a former New York City health commissioner, was arrested on Friday morning in Brooklyn.

WABC says Frieden surrendered to face charges that he grabbed the buttocks of a woman he knew in his home last October. It says she reported it in July.

Frieden is charged with forcible touching, sex abuse and harassment.

There was no immediate information on an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

An email sent to the place where it's believed Frieden works hasn't received a reply.

Below is the official statement from the President and CEO of Vital Stategies:

Statement by José L. Castro, the President and CEO of Vital Strategies

“In April of this year, Dr. Tom Frieden, who heads our Resolve to Save Lives Initiative, informed me that a non-work-related friend of his and his family of more than 30 years accused him of inappropriate physical contact.

I have known and worked closely with Dr. Frieden for nearly 30 years and have seen first-hand that he has the highest ethical standards both personally and professionally. In all of my experiences with him, there have never been any concerns or reports of inappropriate conduct.

Vital Strategies is committed to a workplace that is free of sexual harassment. As such, even though she is not an employee, earlier this month we conducted a thorough investigation by an external expert, which included an in-depth interview with every staff member on the Resolve to Save Lives team to determine whether there are any concerns about inappropriate behavior. This assessment determined there have been no incidents of workplace harassment.

Vital Strategies greatly values the work Dr. Frieden does to advance public health and he has my full confidence.”