Former teacher who ‘catfished’ students gets 33-year prison sentence

MACON – A former Washington County high school teacher who “catfished” his students and uploaded sexually explicit content on social media has been sentenced to serve 33 years in prison.

Michael Allen Dendy, 33, of Milledgeville was sentenced to serve 400 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Nov. 7. In addition, Dendy will have to register as a child sex offender upon release from federal prison. Dendy previously pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography on July 30. There is no parole in the federal system.

“We are committed to holding people like Michael Allen Dendy accountable to the fullest extent of the law for monstrously preying on adolescents, in this case tricking minors to send him explicit images and uploading them online for other predators to view,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said. “I am thankful for our law enforcement partners who are dedicated to protecting the innocent and bringing child predators to justice.”

“Educators are entrusted with the responsibility to protect and guide our youth, and the actions of this former teacher represent a severe betrayal of that trust,” Acting Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank, who oversees investigations across Georgia and Alabama, said. “By creating false identities to deceive minors and exploit them in such a harmful way, Dendy caused profound damage to those he was meant to safeguard. HSI is dedicated to ensuring justice for the victims and will tirelessly pursue those who prey upon vulnerable members of our community.”

“Michael Allen Dendy will no longer be able to prey on children, and he will be an old man when he is released from prison,” Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran said. “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.”

According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received multiple complaints regarding child pornography being posted on the social media platform Discord in December 2022. Deputies were informed that several local high school students had their images posted to the platform under “WACO Confessions” without their knowledge or approval. The 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 from August 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.”

Dendy said that he began his catfishing scheme in 2016, when he lived in Mississippi and continued while residing in Maryland and Georgia. Dendy said he was not able to stop despite knowing that what he was doing was wrong. Dendy taught at three schools previously: Griffin High School from 2018-2020; St. Charles High School in Waldorf, Md., from 2017-2018; and Starkville High School in Starkville, Miss., 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 tip line at 1-866-347-2423.

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 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.

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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by WCSO and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Leesburg (Va.) Police Department, the Charles County (Md.) Sheriff’s Office, and the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach prosecuted the case for the government.

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