The criminal case against the now-former fire chief for the City of Glennville is moving toward trial.
66-year-old Dale Lehman Barnard was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in January 2026 on charges of Child Molestation, Aggravated Child Molestation, and Criminal Trespass following a request for assistance from the Glennville Police Department and the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office. The agencies had responded to a 911 call from a minor who reported that Barnard entered his home and molested him.
Following an investigation and evidence recovered by law enforcement that “supports the minor’s report,” Barnard was booked into the Tattnall County Jail where he remained without a bond.
In April 2026, the case was presented to a grand jury. Tattnall County grand jurors returned a True Bill of Indictment on fourteen felony offenses – up from the three charges he was initially arrested on – including four counts of Child Molestation, one count of Aggravated Child Molestation, one count of Cruelty to Children, one count of Burglary in the 1st degree, and seven counts of Making False Statements.
The Cruelty to Children, Burglary, and Making False Statements charges were added by the District Attorney’s Office, according to court records.
According to the indictment, prosecutors allege Barnard was dishonest during the course of the investigation, stating that Barnard:
- told law enforcement he had not seen a young boy on the day of the investigation
- told law enforcement he’d not seen a male juvenile that day on the day of the investigation
- told law enforcement he did not wear a yellow reflective jacket
- told law enforcement he had no sexual desires for children
- told law enforcement he never entered the residence in question
- stated to law enforcement that his sexual orientation is ‘straight’
- stated to law enforcement that the yellow reflective jacket in question was lost at the scene of fire
Barnard retained defense attorney Tom Peterson from Vidalia and entered a Not Guilty plea at arraignment. The case was placed on the jury trial in August, but was continued to a later date. The case is now awaiting a new court date.
In June 2026, a judge set bond for Barnard, ordering him to home confinement, to wear an ankle monitor, and to surrender his passport. He’s also barred from possessing electronic devices that access the internet and he cannot have any contact with the alleged victim or the parents of the alleged victim.
The City of Glennville removed Barnard from his post following his arrest.
