A Murray County School official has pleaded guilty to charges related to sexual relations with a 15-year-old and to furnishing alcohol during a children's party.
Rachelle Louise Terry, 43, of Chatsworth, Ga., entered a guilty plea on Wednesday to statutory rape, sexual exploitation of children, and tampering with evidence. Terry also entered a guilty plea to five counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor and five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Terry Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison, 12 Years Probation
Pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, Judge Scott Minter sentenced Terry to a total of 15 years, the first three years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections, and the remaining 12 years on probation.
On Oct. 29, 2022, Terry, director of Federal Programs and Enrollment with Murray County Schools, hosted a Halloween party for her minor children at her home in Chatsworth. Receipts and video evidence showed Terry had purchased alcohol earlier in the day, which she later provided to five minors who attended the party.
The incident was brought to the attention of Ms. Terry's employer by concerned parents, but she denied the allegations. The School District then notified the Murray County Sheriff's Department. At the request of Murray County Sheriff Jimmy Davenport, the Murray County District Attorney's Office began an investigation.
Investigators Found Evidence of Terry's Sexual Relationship with a 15-Year-Old Student
Investigator Kevin Caylor of the Murray County District Attorney's Office started conducting interviews with those who attended the party and discovered videos from the party recorded on cell phones. Parents consented to searches of the children's phones.
With the assistance of Dalton Police Department Detective Aaron Simpson, the contents of one of the phones, which had been used by a 15-year old student in the Murray County school system, were downloaded using specialized forensic software.
The phone contained evidence of a sexual relationship between that 15-year-old and Terry. Ms. Terry was questioned about the contents of the 15-year-old's phone, which she denied. Ms. Terry's phone was obtained through a search warrant and it was discovered that during the time of investigation, she had purchased software to erase her phone and all its data. Once investigators were able to take possession of her phone, most of the contents were no longer available and any evidence had been permanently deleted.
The 15-year old was interviewed by a forensic child interviewer with the Children's Advocacy Center-Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit. During the interview, the child confirmed the accuracy of the contents of the phone, as well as the relationship between the child and Ms. Terry.
Given the nature of the charges, Ms. Terry will be required by law to register as a sex offender. Additionally, part of negotiated plea included multiple special conditions imposed on sex offense cases which include no contact with children under 18, no alcohol, a curfew, and no Internet access or social media use. After Ms. Terry was sentenced, she was taken into custody by the Murray County Sheriff's Office to begin serving her sentence.
