TUPELO, Miss. — A Mississippi man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of fondling a minor, according to court records.
Joey Dale Dearman, 51, entered guilty pleas before Lee County Circuit Court Judge John R. White. The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office into allegations made against Dearman, said investigators.
Judge White sentenced Dearman to the maximum penalty for one count of fondling. The sentence will be served day for day due to the nature of the offenses, the court said.
Prosecutors from the First Circuit District, Assistant District Attorneys Joel Baldwin and Kyle Robbins, handled the case. PCSO Investigator Torie Jumper led the investigation.
Dearman’s sentencing concludes a case initiated by allegations against him. The case was prosecuted on behalf of the state by District Attorney Jason D. Herring.
