A former employee of the DeKalb County School System has been arrested in Chattooga County on multiple felony charges involving child pornography and illegal surveillance.
Michael Lance Brown, who reportedly worked as a volleyball coach at Valley Head High School, was taken into custody on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. According to Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader, Brown used a hidden video recorder to obtain illicit images.
Brown faces several charges, including:
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Six counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children
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Six counts of Computer or Electronic Pornography and Child Exploitation
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Eleven counts of Unlawful Eavesdropping or Surveillance
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Two counts of Possession of an Eavesdropping Device
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Eleven counts of Surreptitious Recording of Intimate Parts
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Five counts of Transmission of Photography or Video Depicting Nudity or Sexually Explicit Conduct of an Adult
He is currently held at the Chattooga County Jail.
The DeKalb County School System stated the arrest resulted from an ongoing investigation in Chattooga County and emphasized that the charges are not connected to their students. Brown has been removed from all duties pending the investigation’s outcome.
Brown was denied bond on Wednesday. He remains in the Chattooga County Jail.
