A blogger in Mississippi is accused of taking photographs of a U.S. senator's bedridden wife and then posting them online, all without her permission.
Clayton Thomas Kelly was picked up by police of Friday and stands accused of photographing Rose Cochran, Sen. Thad Cochran's wife who has dementia, at St. Catherine's Village, reports The Associated Press. Police have charged the 28-year-old with exploitation of a vulnerable adult, which is a felony.
The picture was taken by her bedside and included in a video, which has since been pulled down. Kelly remains in the Madison County Detention Center after his bond was set at $100,000.
Sen. Chris McDaniel, who is challenging Cochran in the upcoming Republican primary, publicly denied that he or his campaign are at all involved, according to Reuters. Campaign spokesman Noel Fritsch said, "The campaign has no relationship with Mr. Clayton Kelly in either a volunteer or official capacity." McDaniel also released a statement condemning Kelly, noting that it was "reprehensible."
McDaniel likely felt compelled to speak out as Kelly has a picture of the two of them together at a meet-and-greet event on his Facebook page and another on his conservative blog.