Nashville Mayor Resigns After Felony Sex Scandal

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is resigning from office after admitting to an affair with a police officer who ran her security detail reports The Washington Post. The Democrat also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft of property valued at over $10,000; the amount represents city funds she spent illegally on the officer, Sgt. Rob Forrest.

"It has been my honor and it has been the privilege of my entire professional life to have had the blessing and the opportunity to be your mayor," Barry said at a news conference Tuesday, "God bless this wonderful city. I love you, Nashville."

Barry was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to make resititution to the city in the amount of $11,000; she has already done the latter. She admitted to the affair in late January, in a statement that read:

"Today I acknowledged publicly that I have engaged in an extramarital affair with the former head of my security detail. I accept full responsibility for the pain I have caused my family and his. I am so sorry to my husband Bruce, who has stood by me in my darkest moments and remains committed to our marriage, just as I am committed to repairing the damage I have done."

Last year, Barry's 22-year-old son, Max, died after overdosing on drugs. Forrest broke the news to Barry, The Tennessean reports. The bodyguard later accompanied her on trips to Paris, Athens, Washington, New York, Denver, Oakland, and numerous other cities. That year, Forrest expensed $33,000 for the trips and more than $50,000 overtime. He was already making a salary of $84,500.

In January, Forrest and Barry said they were no longer seeing each other.