Authorities have apprehended Lorenzo Dennard, a 34-year-old former educator from Atkinson County, with multiple indictments tied to child sexual exploitation following a request by the Wilcox County Sheriff's Office to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to launch an inquiry into the allegations of misconduct with a minor, according to the GBI.
On the heels of the allegations, the investigation culminated in Dennard facing 77 counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children, 3 counts of Electronically Furnishing Obscene Material to a Minor, and 1 count of Improper Sexual Contact by an Employee; Dennard, who once assumed the role of a mentor and an authority as a teacher and coach now stands accused of breaching the sacred trust once placed in him by the community, the legal process is set in motion after his release on bond from the Wilcox County Jail.
In the wake of these unsettling events, the GBI voices a call to action, urging anyone with potentially relevant information to come forward and assist by reaching out to the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Office or their Regional Investigative Office in Perry – tips can also be submitted anonymously via the toll-free helpline, GBI's website, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile application, avenues established for community members to stand as sentinels for the well-being of their youth and the integrity of their social fabric.
The onus for further legal proceedings now resides with the Crisp Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, they will review the case file post-investigation.
