A Decatur man won't be released from jail after being arrested a third time on child molestation charges, a judge has ruled.
Former Georgia Tech computer technician Sami Ud Deen's request that his bond be reinstated was denied Friday by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Gail Flake.
Prosecutors say that for nearly 16 months he fondled and took naked photos of children until one of them reported him to parents.
Deen, 43, was arrested in November on child molestation and exploitation of children charges and released on a $75,000 bond.
As a condition of the bond, Deen was ordered out of his Decatur home, where he lived with his wife and children, and forced to live with his parents in nearby Avondale Estates.
Investigators combing through Deen's computers found child pornography, and he was arrested a second time in June.
While he was allowed bond again — this time $30,000 — investigators eventually uncovered nearly 100 questionable pictures.
Some of the photos showed his encounters with children, prosecutors said, while others were deemed as merely "inappropriate" — including photos of girls in bathing suits and leotards — and Deen wasarrested a third time.
"We don't believe any amount of restriction will keep the community safe," Assistant DeKalb County District Attorney Lee Williams said during a bond hearing last month. "And he is a flight risk."
Flake agreed.
According to the judge's bond order, obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from prosecutors, Flake counted the "significant risk of fleeing from the jurisdiction of the court" as one of the reasons she refused to reinstate Deen's $30,000 bond.
Also, Flake said she considered him a threat.
"The defendant poses a significant risk of intimidating witnesses or otherwise obstructing the administration of justice," the order reads. "The defendant poses a significant threat or danger to a person, to the community, or to property in the community."
Deen remains in the DeKalb County jail without bond.
About the Author
