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

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

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

“We are committed to prosecuting people like Michael Allen Dendy to the fullest extent of the law for their monstrous deception of teenagers, in this case by tricking minors into sending him explicit images and uploading them online for other predators to see,” said US Attorney Peter. D. Leary. “I am grateful for our law enforcement partners who are dedicated to protecting the innocent and bringing child predators to justice.”

Dendy will have to register as a child sex offender, according to the news 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 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 that those who prey on them are held accountable. I want to express my sincere gratitude to all 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 victims.”

According to court documents and statements, the sheriff’s office received several complaints about child pornography posted on Discord in December 2022.

The release states that deputies were informed that several high school students had the images posted under “WACO Confessions” without their knowledge or approval. The investigation found that the page was created by Dendy, under the username “TheOneYouLeftBehind”.

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

Dendy admitted to obtaining nude images of individuals, specifically minor students at Washington County High School. He confirmed that he would communicate with students using fake Instagram accounts — posing as a young man and a young woman — and that he never met students in person.

According to the release, Dendy also admitted to creating the “Waco Confessions.” Dendy said he started his catfishing scheme in 2016 when he was living in Mississippi and continued while living in Maryland and Georgia. Dendy said he couldn’t stop, despite knowing what he was doing was wrong.

Dendy previously taught at three schools: Griffin High School in Griffin, Georgia from 2018-2020; Lyceum St. Charles of Waldorf, Maryland, from 2017-2018; and Starkville High School in Starkville, Mississippi from 2014-2016.

Parents and guardians of children who may have met Dendy and have concerns can contact the Homeland Security Investigations Hotline 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 persuaded a 16-year-old boy to engage in sexually explicit behavior, film the behavior and share 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” depicting a minor, who was between the ages of 14 and 15, engaging in sexually explicit behavior.

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