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Dean back in jail

Bond revoked for probation violation

By LEE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@TheCitizenNews.com

Former Pike County School Superintendent Earnest Darryl Dean, accused of soliciting sex from a minor over the Internet, was ordered to return to the Fayette County lockup after he violated the terms of his probation at least four times.

Dean, 44, of Whitfield Walk, Zebulon, was arrested March 10 by the Peachtree City Police Department for violating the Computer Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act of 1999. He was taken to the Fayette County Jail for booking.

Fayette County Magistrate Judge Joe Tinsley agreed to release Dean pending receipt of a $25,000 bond, but only under the condition that Dean, a married father of two, have no contact with children under the age of 16, except for his own children, and that he did not use any Internet service or other electronic device capable of communication except for his personal phone.

Dean agreed to the terms and signed a form featuring the special conditions below a statement that read, “I acknowledge notice of the above conditions of my bond and realize that upon any violation my bond may be revoked.”

Despite this agreement, Dean violated the terms anyway, according to evidence presented Friday by Griffin Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Randy Coggin.

Dean violated the terms of his probation between June 12 and July 17. One of the violations occurred just one day after Dean was indicted July 13 on charges of computer pornography and child exploitation and obscene Internet contact, the official said.

“One of the conditions of his bond was that he not have contact with children other than his own,” Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard said. “He went on a trip and it came to our attention and we filed a motion to revoke his bond.”

A motion to revoke Dean’s bond was filed Aug. 3 and a probation revocation hearing was held at 8:30 a.m. Griffin Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Johnnie Caldwell Jr. presided over the proceeding.

According to court documents, Dean had been in the company of a 10-year-old child, who is the son of a woman he is now dating, on several occasions:

• On June 12, Dean was present in the home of the woman and the 10-year-old child, in violation of his bond.

• On June 29, Dean was with the child.

• On July 4, Dean was driving in a car with the child.

• From July 14-17, Dean traveled to Myrtle Beach, S.C. with the child and his mother, in violation of his bond conditions.

Dean will remain in the Fayette County Jail pending his court date. Dean is expected to be arraigned Oct. 31 and his case likely will be tried in March, Ballard said.