Former Georgia Teacher Admits to Catfishing Students and Posting Child Sexual Assault Material on Discord

MACON, Ga. - A former Sandersville, Georgia, high school teacher pleaded guilty to producing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM)-also known as child pornography-in federal court this morning.

Michael Allen Dendy, 33, of Milledgeville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on July 30. Dendy faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison up to a maximum sentence of thirty years in prison for production of child pornography and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison up to a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison for distribution of child pornography. In addition, Dendy faces a maximum term of supervised release of life, and he will have to register as a child sex offender upon release from federal prison. Dendy faces a maximum fine of $250,000 and restitution to victims as determined by the Court. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

"It's a nightmare for parents to imagine a trusted teacher catfishing students and then posting sexually explicit images of these kids on social media," said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. "Thanks to good police work, a child predator is off the streets and will be held accountable for the suffering and pain he has caused. Furthermore, this case is an important reminder that online predators are a real threat, and parents must exercise vigilance."

"Teachers are supposed to be a safety net for our children, not target and exploit them," said Jennifer Huerta, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta that oversees Georgia and Alabama. "This plea represents the great work done by HSI and our partners to identify, investigate and prosecute these predators. HSI remains vigilant in protecting our children and holding those accountable those who exploit them."

"Michael Allen Dendy's guilty plea marks a significant step towards justice for the heinous crimes committed," said Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran. "We are resolute in our commitment to safeguarding our children and ensuring that those who prey on them are held accountable. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all law enforcement officers, prosecutors and support personnel who worked tirelessly on this case. Your dedication and hard work have made our community safer and brought us closer to justice for the victims."

According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) received multiple complaints in Dec. 2022 regarding child pornography being posted on the social media platform Discord and were informed that several local high school students had their images posted to the platform under "WACO Confessions" without their knowledge or approval. A WCSO investigation found "WACO Confessions" was created by an individual-later determined to be Dendy-under the username "TheOneYouLeftBehind." The IP address most frequently used to access the account was tracked to Dendy's residence. Dendy was a teacher at Washington County High School in Sandersville, Georgia, from Aug. 2020 until his arrest by WCSO deputies on Jan. 20, 2023.

Dendy admitted to obtaining nude images of individuals, particularly of underage students at Washington County High School. He confirmed that he would communicate with the students using fake Instagram accounts-posing as a young male and a young female on Instagram-and that he never met with any students in person. Dendy also admitted to creating "WACO Confessions."

A search warrant executed at Dendy's residence recovered numerous electronic devices containing CSAM and chat conversations between Dendy and several identified victims. Specifically, between Jan. 1, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2023, Dendy persuaded a 16-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct, film the conduct and share it with Dendy through social media. In a separate incident, on Dec. 11, 2022, Dendy uploaded a video to "WACO Confessions" depicting a minor, who was between the ages of 14 and 15, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Dendy taught at three schools previously: Griffin High School in Griffin, Georgia, from 2018-2020; St. Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland, from 2017-2018; and Starkville High School in Starkville, Mississippi, from 2014-2016. Parents and guardians of children who may have encountered Dendy and have concerns related to this investigation can contact the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) tip line at 1-866-347-2423.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the DOJ's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case is being investigated by WCSO and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with significant assistance from the Leesburg Police Department (Virginia), the Charles County Sheriff's Office (Maryland) and the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia District Attorney's Office.

U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach is prosecuting the case for the Government.

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