TUPELO, Miss. — A man accused of fondling a minor was sentenced to 15 years in prison during a court hearing Tuesday in Lee County.
Joey Dale Dearman, 51, pleaded guilty to two counts of fondling a minor in a Prentiss County case. Circuit Court Judge John R. White accepted the pleas and sentenced Dearman to the maximum penalty for one count, which requires serving the sentence day for day.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office. Investigator Torie Jumper led the probe. Prosecutors Joel Baldwin and Kyle Robbins represented the state during the hearing, which took place in Lee County Circuit Court.
Dearman will serve the full 15-year sentence in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, according to court records.
Jon R Myers is the executive editor of Alcorn County News and the founder of the Mississippi News Group, which he started in 2013 to cover communities across North Mississippi. He also founded the Mississippi Sports Group in 2006, which grew from a single community publication into a statewide network covering high school and college athletics. He reports on local government, public safety, schools and community life in Corinth and Alcorn County, working from public meetings, agency records and interviews with the people involved. Contact him at editor@alcornnewsms.com with news tips or corrections. For a correction, include the article link and supporting source material.
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