False Report Allegations: Cherokee Sheriff Confirms No Active Investigation into Georgia Transparency

Cherokee County, GA — October 23, 2025 - Independent journalist Russell Pickron (Georgia Transparency) was accused by YouTuber Kathryn M. Zierk of making harassing communications, but the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office confirms the case is inactive and not under investigation. The official report shows no evidence or screenshots were ever provided to support Zierk’s claims. Pickron has since served Zierk with a Notice of Intent to Sue for defamation, false reporting, and emotional distress, giving her ten days to issue a retraction under Georgia law.

Oct 23, 2025 0 509

False Report Allegations: Cherokee Sheriff Confirms No Active Investigation into Georgia Transparency

Independent journalist Russell Pickron, known to his audience as Georgia Transparency (GT), was accused in a Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office report of harassing communications. The complaint, filed by Kathryn M. Zierk, a YouTuber who produces pro-law-enforcement commentary, alleged that Pickron posted personal information and made threatening statements online.

However, the official case file SO25-014732 tells a different story. The responding deputy documented that no screenshots, videos, or proof of the alleged harassment were ever provided, even after the complainant was given an Axon upload link. The deputy closed his narrative with “nothing further to report.”

Case Status: Inactive and Unfounded

GT News Now contacted Detective Meyers with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office on October 23, 2025. Meyers confirmed that Case SO25-014732 is inactive and not being investigated. No criminal charges have been filed, no follow-up interviews have been requested, and the matter is considered closed unless new evidence emerges.

Notice of Intent to Sue Filed

In response, Pickron served Kathryn M. Zierk with a formal Notice of Intent to File Civil Action on the same day. The two-page document outlines multiple intended claims, including:

Defamation per se (O.C.G.A. § 51-5-4);
False Report of a Crime (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-26);
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress; and
Abuse of Process / Malicious Prosecution should any criminal process arise from the false report.

The notice further states that Zierk’s allegations were “false, malicious, and published to third parties with reckless disregard for the truth.” Pickron demands a full written retraction under O.C.G.A. § 51-5-11(a), giving Zierk ten days from receipt to correct the record publicly and in writing. Failure to do so, the notice says, will permit him to proceed with a formal civil complaint and may be used as evidence of malice.

Legal and Public Context

Under Georgia law, knowingly filing a false crime report is prohibited by O.C.G.A. § 16-10-26, and false accusations of criminal conduct constitute defamation per se, where harm is presumed. The state’s retraction statute gives alleged defamers a ten-day window after receiving notice to issue a correction before litigation moves forward.

GT says that he views the incident as “a textbook example of how false reporting can be weaponized against citizen journalists.” He reiterated that criticism of public figures or online commentary about government matters is constitutionally protected speech.