Monte Gale SalyerA Dalton State College professor has been arrested for a second time in less than two weeks on child molestation charges, authorities say.
Monte Gale Salyer, 58, surrendered without incident Wednesday at his home on Marran Drive in Rocky Face, Ga., according to a statement from the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies first arrested Salyer, an associate professor of English at Dalton State, on Jan. 27 on a charge of fondling an 8-year-old female relative, the statement said. After further investigation, the sheriff's department learned that Salyer, who was on leave from the college before his first arrest, is suspected of also victimizing other girls, according to the statement.
In addition to the original count of child molestation, Salyer has been charged with two counts of aggravated child molestation, enticing a child for indecent purposes, two counts of aggravated sodomy and two counts of statutory rape.
In connection with the new charges, investigators contacted a Tennessee girl, now 16, who told them Salyer had abused her on a regular basis during her early childhood. He had befriended her family at church and offered to assist in her education, the sheriff's statement said.
A third woman, now 20 years old and living in Orlando, Fla., was located and interviewed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the statement said.
She told investigators Salyer befriended her family at their church when they lived in the Dalton area. When she was about 11 years old, Salyer offered and provided educational assistance to her. She told investigators that Salyer molested her on a regular basis until she was 15 years old.
Salyer is currently being held in the Whitfield County Jail. He's due to appear at 9 a.m. Friday for a bond hearing before Whitfield County Superior Court Chief Judge William T. Boyett. Chief Assistant District Attorney Bert Poston said he didn't know if Salyer has an attorney yet.
According to his faculty website, Salyer earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Andrews University, a Seventh-day Adventist school in Berrien Springs, Mich. He received his doctoral degree from Michigan State University, the website says.