MACON, Ga. — A former Sandersville high school teacher pleaded guilty to producing and distributing child sexual abuse material in federal court on Tuesday, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
33-year-old Michael Allen Dendy of Milledgeville pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
Dendy was originally arrested in January 2023.
In December 2022 the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received multiple complaints regarding child pornography being posted on the messaging app Discord. They were told several high school students unknowingly had their images posted in a server called “WACO Confessions”.
The sheriff's office identified Deny as the creator of “WACO Confessions” under the username “TheOneYouLeftBehind.” The IP address most frequently used to access the account was tracked to Dendy’s home.
Dendy taught at Washington County High School from August 2020 until his arrest.
He admitted to communicating with students using fake Instagram accounts, obtaining nude images of underage students at Washington County High School, and creating “WACO Confessions.”
He also confirmed he never met with any of the students in person.
A search warrant at Dendy’s home uncovered devices containing child pornography and conversations between Dendy and several identified victims.
Specifically, throughout January 2023, Dendy persuaded a 16-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct, record and share it with him through social media.
In December 2022, Dendy uploaded a video to “WACO Confessions” of a minor, between 14 and 15-years-old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. said. “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.”
Dendy faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison for the production of child pornography and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of up to 20 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.
He has not been scheduled to be sentenced.
Dendy previously taught at 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.
“Teachers are supposed to be a safety net for our children, not target and exploit them,” Jennifer Huerta, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta that oversees Georgia and Alabama said. “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.”
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.
The case is being investigated by the Washington County Sheriff's Office 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.