A Dyersburg man has been meted out justice in both federal and state courtrooms for sexual abuse crimes. According to an announcement made by Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee, and Danny H. Goodman, Jr., District Attorney General for the Twenty-Ninth Judicial District, Robert Galler, 52, received prison sentences for his offenses involving minors.
The information brought forth in court revealed that Galler, back in 2020, traveled to Iowa and returned to Tennessee with a minor, known in the indictment as Minor A. In 2022, allegations of sexual abuse at Galler’s residence were referred to the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Investigators found three minor females who reported suffering both sexual and physical abuse at the hands of Galler. The abuse, they said, spanned over four years. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, these interviews were conducted at the Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse.
In a federal court last September, Galler pled guilty to transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct. Senior United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen on January 8 this year sentenced him to 300 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and mandated lifetime registration as a sex offender. It is to be noted that the federal prison system does not offer parole.
After receiving his federal prison sentence, Galler was transferred back to state custody where he proceeded to enter guilty pleas for one count of rape of a child and one count of rape on January 21. Judge Mark Hayes of the Dyer County Circuit Court imposed a 25-year imprisonment term, and lifetime supervision, and also placed Galler on the sex offender registry. State law dictates that Galler is required to serve his entire sentence. Both fed and state sentences are to run concurrently.
"I would first like to thank Assistant District Attorney, Andrew Hays, for the time he dedicated to this case," said District Attorney General Danny H. Goodman, Jr., while underlining the collaborative effort between his office and the United States Department of Justice in bringing Galler to book. Goodman stated, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, "This office will always prosecute crimes involving children with as much zeal as possible." The FBI, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, and the Dyersburg Police Department were credited with investigating the case that led to Galler's sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren extended gratitude to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hays of the Western District of Tennessee, who prosecuted the case, and praised the law enforcement partners for their work in the investigation.
