Jason Earl Dean
Jason Earl Dean, 25, of Dalton, made national headlines in August 2011 after he handcuffed himself to an 18-year-old woman, a co-worker at the Taco Bell in Ringgold, in an attempt to convince her to go on a date with him.
Judge Ralph Van Pelt on Jan. 7 sentenced Dean to four years in jail, followed by six years on probation, said Lookout Mountain assistant district attorney Alan Norton.
"It's a split sentence," Norton said. "Four years is to be served in the department of corrections, while the remainder is to be served on probation with specific conditions."
Also, Dean is not to have any contact with the victim or her family, Norton said.
Dean has been in the Catoosa County jail since September 2012, after entering a blind plea, which is a guilty plea made by a criminal defendant when they have not entered a plea agreement and have no knowledge of the punishment a judge will impose.
The handcuffing incident occurred on Aug. 8, 2011, about 9 p.m. when Dean waited outside the Taco Bell in Ringgold in anticipation of the female employee finishing her shift, police reports said.
As she approached her vehicle, Dean pulled up beside her and handcuffed himself to her as she attempted to get into her car.
Dean let her go after several co-workers came to her rescue after hearing her scream, reports show.
He fled in an SUV before Ringgold police arrived.
After being on the run for two days, Dean was arrested by Dalton State College police and returned to Catoosa County on the charge of false imprisonment.
The victim told police that Dean had been making passes and asking her out on dates for nearly a month before the incident.
