NEWNAN, Ga. — A manager is now behind bars after police say he tried to kiss an underage employee.
On Friday, Newnan police responded to an alleged sexual assault at the Regal Georgian Theater on Newnan Crossing Bypass.
When officers arrived, they spoke with the 17-year-old victim who stated that she was cleaning up the break room and her manager, Washanta Gamalathge, tried to kiss her.
Newnan officials said Gamalathge admitted he told the teen to go clean the break room, but later when to check on her because she was allegedly on her phone and not cleaning up.
When authorities asked Gamalathge about the cameras in the breakroom, he stated there weren’t any.
Upon inspection, the officer saw a camera in the back of the room that Gamalathge said hadn’t worked for years.
While talking to the theater’s upper management, Gamalathge left the room and reportedly locked himself inside the camera system room. When another employee let the officer in, he found Gamalathge trying to delete camera footage.
Officers played the video back and saw the teen cleaning the breakroom. As Gamalathge walked in, he placed his hand around the teen’s waist. Authorities said Gamalathge then put his hand under the teen’s chin, lifted her head, and leaned his face toward hers. The teen then knocked Gamalathge’s hand away and ran out of the room.
Gamalathge was arrested and transported to the Coweta County Jail.