Michael Allen Dendy, 33, admitted preying on multiple students online

SANDERSVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A former Washington County high school teacher has been sentenced to 400 months in federal prison on two child pornography-related charges. United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

On July 20, 2024, Michael Allen Dendy, 33, of Milledgeville. Pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.. The 400-month prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Dendy will be required to register as a child sex offender when he is released from prison.

Investigators found that Dendy’s harassment began before his time as a teacher in Georgia. Dendy started a catfishing scheme in 2016 while living in Mississippi. He admitted to using nude images to create fake Instagram accounts and talk to students. Dendy posed as young men or women to obtain nude photographs from underage students at Washington County High School.

In December 2022, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office announced that it had received complaints of child pornography on Discord, another social media platform. The popular app allows users to create their own forums, called servers, and control who has access. Lawmakers were told that images shared by high school students were published without permission under the title “WACO Confessions.” Dendy admitted that he created the server under the username “TheOneYouLeftBehind”. He says that even though he knew what he was doing was wrong, he couldn’t stop. One of the victims was between 14 and 15 years old.

Before his arrest, law enforcement searched Dendy’s home. They found several devices that stored child sexual abuse material and conversations between Dendy and several victims. Investigators also found evidence that in January 2023, he persuaded a 16-year-old boy to record sexually explicit content and share it with him via social media.

Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran said of Dendy’s arrest:

“Michael Allen Dendy will no longer be able to prey on children and will be an old man when he gets out of prison. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting our children and ensuring that those who prey on them are held accountable. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and support staff who worked tirelessly on this case. “Your dedication and hard work has made our community safer and moved us closer to justice for victims.”

Cat hunting plans Dendy, Waldorf, St. Louis, Maryland, according to Department of Justice This continued while teaching at St. Charles High School (2017-2018) and Griffin High School in Griffin, Georgia (2018-2020). He taught at Washington County High School in Sandersville, Georgia, from August 2020 until Washington County deputies arrested Dendy on January 20, 2023.

If your child may have encountered Dendy and you have concerns about this investigation, call the Home Land Safety Investigations tip line at 1-866-347-2423.