Biloxi city official arrested on 2 counts of touching a child for lustful purposes

Investigators with the Biloxi Police Department have arrested a city leader. .

According to a press release by Maj. Chris DeBack, the department had received reports on Dec. 13 of a person touching a child for lustful purposes in the 100 block of Thomas Street.

Investigators identified the suspect as Frederick Cliff Kirkland Jr., 67, of Biloxi, and obtained two warrants for his arrest.

Officers arrested Kirkland on Tuesday evening on two charges of touching a child for lustful purposes.

Justice Court Judge Bruce Strong set Kirkland’s bond at $100,000 each for a total of $200,000. He remained jailed Wednesday morning.

Kirkland — a City of Biloxi employee — headed Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich’s transition team after the special mayoral election in May 2015.

As the city’s Civic Innovation and Development Officer, Kirkland has served under the Gilich administration as one of the go-to leaders for those looking to do business in Biloxi.

The position, according to the city’s official website, was created “to help aggressively facilitate new business start ups and expansion of existing business, as well as strategic planning for economic development.”.

Kirkland also had been working to create incentives for high-tech business development citywide while coordinating joint efforts with federal, state and local governments.

Past Biloxi Mayor Pete Halat tapped Kirkland as chief administrative officer in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Biloxi Police’s Criminal Investigation Division at 228-435-6112, 228-392-0641.

Anonymous tips can be left by calling Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-877-787-5898 or online at mscoastcrimestoppers.com.

DeBack said the investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 10:55 PM.