The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
Freddie Early, a music minister at Reset Church in Morrow, Georgia and a teacher’s aide at Dunleith Elementary School, was sentenced to ten years in prison for grooming two boys and exposing himself to them.
A former Marietta City Schools teacher has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for child molestation, the Cobb District Attorney’s Office announced.
Freddie Lee Early, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts of child molestation earlier this week, according to prosecutors, in a non-negotiated plea. Cobb Superior Court Judge Ann Harris sentenced him to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years probation.
Early formerly worked as an elementary school aid at Dunleith Elementary School, where he also handled in-school suspensions. He was also a music minister at Reset Church in Morrow, the DA’s Office said.
On Jan. 11, 2021, a juvenile male victim told his middle school teacher that he and his younger brother had been victims of Early’s inappropriate behavior between October and December of 2020, prosecutors said.
“Cobb police detectives spoke to the two brothers individually and learned that a family friend, Freddie Early, had been grooming them,” the DA’s Office said, adding that “Early had attended the boys’ church from time to time as well.”
Early bought gifts for the boys, took them out to dinner and let them spend time at his home, prosecutors said.
“He eventually walked around his home with his private parts exposed and made sexually explicit comments to the brothers,” the DA’s Office said.
One of the brothers recorded an incident of Early making sexually explicit comments without Early’s knowledge, prosecutors said. Following his arrest, Early voluntarily surrendered his teaching license.
The boys spoke during the plea hearing about how Early’s behavior affected them, and Judge Harris addressed the defendant.
“You’re a groomer and molester,” she said. “You preyed on the trust of two motherless teenage boys who needed someone. You victimized them then and again today. This is shameful conduct. I can’t fix what happened, but I can make sure there are no more victims.”
An ex-Marietta teacher and music minister have been sentenced to years in prison after pleading guilty to his involvement in a child molestation case.
It all started in Jan. 2021, when a boy told his middle school teacher, that he and his younger brother had been exposed to inappropriate behavior by a family friend between Oct. and Dec. 2020.
After speaking to the two brothers separately, Cobb County detectives learned that the family friend, identified as Freddie Early, 50, had been grooming them.
Officials said Early was a teacher aid at Dunleith Elementary School who also handled in-school suspensions.
He was also the music minister at Reset Church in Morrow. Authorities said Early would attend the boys’ church from time to time.
Early reportedly purchased gifts for the boys, took them to dinner, and allowed them to hang out at his home.
According to Cobb officials, he began walking around his home with his private parts out and made sexually explicit comments to the brothers. One of the incidents was reportedly recorded by one of the brothers, without Early knowing.
It all started in Jan. 2021, when a boy told his middle school teacher, that he and his younger brother had been exposed to inappropriate behavior by a family friend between Oct. and Dec. 2020.
After speaking to the two brothers separately, Cobb County detectives learned that the family friend, identified as Freddie Early, 50, had been grooming them.
Officials said Early was a teacher aid at Dunleith Elementary School who also handled in-school suspensions.
He was also the music minister at Reset Church in Morrow. Authorities said Early would attend the boys’ church from time to time.
Early reportedly purchased gifts for the boys, took them to dinner, and allowed them to hang out at his home.
According to Cobb officials, he began walking around his home with his private parts out and made sexually explicit comments to the brothers. One of the incidents was reportedly recorded by one of the brothers, without Early knowing.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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