Georgia fire chief Dale Lehman Barnard faces child molestation charges

GLENNVILLE, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested the chief of the Glennville Fire Department on child molestation and trespassing charges, authorities said.

Dale Lehman Barnard, 66, was booked Jan. 27 into the Tattnall County Jail on one count of criminal trespass, one count of aggravated child molestation and one count of child molestation, the GBI said in a news release.

The investigation began after the Glennville Police Department responded to a 911 call from a minor who alleged Barnard entered the child’s home and molested him, the bureau said. Evidence recovered at the home supported the report, officials added.

The Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI’s assistance, and the case remains active. When the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution.

No additional information about Barnard’s employment status with the fire department was immediately released.