ATLANTA — A Georgia State University bookstore employee fired amid a theft investigation was also arrested earlier this month on child molestation charges stemming from a sexual assault reported two years ago, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Zacchaeus Tillman was fired March 5 after he admitted to stealing $40,000 during an internal investigation, Channel 2 reported. He was arrested that same day in a May 2016 sexual assault out of Clayton County.

According to arrest warrants, a young girl’s mother returned home during a lunch break and heard someone running down the stairs, the news station reported. The girl had deleted her correspondence with Tillman, but evidence eventually linked him to her.

A background check was performed in December 2016 by Illinois-based Follett Education Services on the 21-year-old, who was known to them as “Zack,” Channel 2 reported. Tillman’s employer likely didn’t know about the molestation allegations since warrants were issued in May 2017, after he was hired.

Tillman admitted he stole $40,000 worth of merchandise from the bookstore during an internal investigation involving $400,000 in stolen goods, Channel 2 reported. GSU police chief Joseph Spillane said the theft centered on a gift-card scam operation.

“We’re working out all the details on that, but basically it was a way to defraud through improper returns or returns that never existed where one would give a refund in the form of a gift card,” Spillane told Channel 2. “Those gift cards were used for personal purchases potentially by these individuals who are suspects.”

Tillman remains in the Clayton County jail on child molestation, statutory rape and aggravated child molestation charges. His next hearing is 8 a.m. March 27. He has a bond hearing scheduled for 8 a.m. March 30.