'TheOneYouLeftBehind': Ex-teacher convicted, students catfished

SANDERSVILLE, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A former Washington County high school teacher has been sentenced after catfishing his students and uploading sexually explicit content to social media, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Michael Allen Dendy, 33, of Milledgeville was sentenced Thursday to 400 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell.

According to officials, Dendy was a teacher from August 2020 until his arrest on January 20, 2023.

“We are committed to holding people like Michael Allen Dendy accountable to the fullest extent of the law for monstrous preying on adolescents, in this case by tricking minors into sending him explicit images and uploading them online for other predators to view,” said US Attorney Peter. D. Leary. “I am grateful for our law enforcement partners who are committed to protecting innocents and bringing child predators to justice.”

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Dendy will have to register as a child molester, according to the press release. Dendy previously pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography on July 30.

“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 protect our children and ensure those who prey on them are held accountable. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the law enforcement officers, prosecutors and support staff 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, the sheriff’s office received multiple complaints about the posting of child pornography on Discord in December 2022.

The press release states that deputies were informed that the photos of several high school students had been posted under “WACO Confessions” without their knowledge or approval. Investigation revealed that the page was created by Dendy, under the username ‘TheOneYouLeftBehind’.

The IP address most commonly used to access the account was traced to Dendy’s home, the release said.

Dendy admitted to obtaining nude photographs of individuals, specifically underage students at Washington County High School. He confirmed that he would communicate with the students through fake Instagram accounts – posing as a young man and a young woman – and that he had never met any students in person.

According to the release, Dendy also admitted to creating “WACO Confessions.” Dendy said he started his catfish program in 2016, while living in Mississippi, and continued while living in Maryland and Georgia. Dendy said he couldn’t stop even though he knew what he was doing was wrong.

Dendy previously taught at three schools: 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 are concerned 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.

Between Jan. 1, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2023, Dendy convinced a 16-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct, filming the behavior and sharing it via social media, officials say.

The release states that in a separate incident, on December 11, 2022, Dendy uploaded a video to “WACO Confessions” in which a minor, who was between the ages of 14 and 15, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.