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Dean released again on bond

By LEE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@TheCitizenNews.com

Former Pike County School Superintendent E. Darryl Dean’s return stay at the Fayette County Jail only lasted a week before he was set free again.

Griffin Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Johnnie Caldwell Jr. agreed to revoke Dean’s $25,000 bond for violating the terms of his bond at least four times. However, Caldwell agreed to release the 44-year-old Zebulon resident out on bond again after a Aug. 19 hearing at the Pike County Courthouse.

Dean was released from the Fayette County Jail at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19 after a relative, Earnestine Dean, posted a $55,100 property bond.

Dean was arrested March 10 by the Peachtree City Police Department for violating the Computer Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act of 1999. The charge stems from a claim Dean allegedly tried to solicit sex from a homeschooled teen from Peachtree City whom he met on the Internet. However, the teen was really an undercover police officer.

Dean was arrested at the Pike County Board of Education and taken to the Fayette County Jail for booking.

Twenty minutes later, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents moved in with a search warrant and confiscated computers and other items from Dean’s office.

Authorities collected one pack of Cialis, a sexual enhancement drug, from Dean’s top left desk drawer, and a Southern Linc phone box labeled “Superintendent” that contained a box of Lifestyles Ultra lubricated condoms and other items inside of the married man’s office, according to a Peachtree City Police Department property receipt.

Dean resigned from his $120,000-a-year post in the wake of the allegations.

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 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 online Internet service or other electronic device capable of communication except for his personal phone.

Dean violated the terms of his jail release 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.

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. Dean went on a trip with the child and his mother from July 14-17 to Myrtle Beach, S.C. in violation of his bond conditions.

A motion to revoke Dean’s bond was filed on Aug. 3. The probation revocation hearing was held at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 12. Caldwell presided over the proceeding and agreed to revoke Dean’s bond.

Several hours after Caldwell agreed to revoke Dean’s bond, Dean’s attorney Virgil Brown of Zebulon filed a motion for a new bond at 4:06 p.m. at the Fayette County Courthouse.

Brown argued Dean’s incarceration would impact his ability to prepare Dean’s legal defense, according to court documents. Brown also argued Dean was not a flight risk and would not attempt to intimidate the state’s witnesses.

Caldwell agreed to grant Dean a new bond, but this time the bond was increased from $25,000 to $55,100. The judge also imposed new conditions.

Caldwell ordered Dean not to have contact with juveniles under the age of 16 “unless and except the guardian or parent is present, agrees and supervises the contact,” Caldwell ruled, according to court documents. Caldwell also ruled Dean may continue to visit and interact with his own children.

Dean is expected to be arraigned Oct. 31 and his case likely will be tried in March.