TUPELO, Miss. — A 51-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to fondling a minor, according to court records.
Joey Dale Dearman entered guilty pleas to two counts of fondling a minor in Lee County Circuit Court. Judge John R. White sentenced him to the maximum penalty of 15 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with the sentence to be served day for day.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office. Investigator Torie Jumper led the probe into allegations against Dearman, authorities said.
Assistant District Attorneys Joel Baldwin and Kyle Robbins prosecuted the case on behalf of the state. The sentencing was announced by District Attorney Jason D. Herring of the First Circuit Court District.
