A former Washington County High School teacher has pleaded guilty to producing and distributing child pornography.
Earlier this month in a federal court, 33-year-old Michael Dendy of Milledgeville pleaded guilty to one count of the production of child sexual abuse material and one count of the distribution of child pornography.
Dendy faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison for production of child pornography that can reach a maximum sentence of thirty years. He also sees a mandatory minimum of five years in prison for distributing child pornography that faces a maximum sentence of twenty years.
In addition, the former educator sees a maximum term of supervision for life upon release from prison, and he will have to register as a child sex offender upon his exit 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 yet been scheduled.
“Michael 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 tirelessly worked on this case. Your dedication and hard work have made our community safer and brought us closer to justice for the victims.”
As previously reported by WACO 100, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received multiple complaints regarding child pornography being posted on the social media platform Discord in December of 2022.
Law enforcement was informed that several local high school students had their images posted to a server on the platform named “WACO Confessions” without their knowledge or approval.
An ensuing investigation by the Sheriff’s Office found that “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 his residence in Milledgeville.
Michael Dendy was the Theater Director at the Washington County High School from August of 2020 until his arrest by Sheriff’s Office deputies on January 20, 2023.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Dendy admitted to obtaining nude images of individuals, particularly underage students at the Washington County High School.
He confirmed that he would communicate with students using fake Instagram accounts – posing as a young male and a young female on the social media app – to acquire the images.
Dendy admitted to creating the “WACO Confessions” Discord server.
All victims stated that they never met him in person outside of regular teacher-student interactions at the school.
A search warrant executed at Michael Dendy’s residence recovered numerous electronic devices containing child sexual abuse material and chat conversations between the man and several identified victims.
Specifically, during the month of January in 2023, the defendant persuaded a 16-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct, film the act, and share it with him through social media.
In a separate incident the month prior, Dendy uploaded a video to “WACO Confessions” depicting a minor, who was between the ages of 14 and 15, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Michael Dendy taught at three schools prior to his employment by the Washington County Board of Education: Starkville High School in his native Mississippi from 2014 to 2016, St. Charles High School in Maryland from 2017 to 2018, and Griffin High School in Georgia from 2018 to 2020.
Parents and guardians of children who may have encountered Dendy and have concerns related to this investigation can contact the Homeland Security Investigations tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
The case is being investigated by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations with significant assistance from the Leesburg Police Department of Virginia, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office of Maryland, and the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia District Attorney’s Office.