TUPELO, Miss. — Aug. 13, 2026 — Joey Dale Dearman, 51, pleaded guilty to two counts of fondling a minor and was sentenced Thursday in Lee County Circuit Court to 15 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, a press release from First Circuit District Attorney Jason D. Herring said.
Circuit Court Judge John R. White accepted the pleas and imposed the 15-year term, which the release described as the maximum penalty for one count of fondling. The release said Dearman must serve the sentence day for day because of the nature of the offenses.
The charges followed an investigation by the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office, the release said, with PCSO Investigator Torie Jumper serving as the lead investigator. Assistant District Attorneys Joel Baldwin and Kyle Robbins prosecuted the case on behalf of the state, the release said.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections operates the state prison system that will carry out the sentence. Fondling of a minor is a criminal charge involving sexual contact with a child. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
