Three arrested in southeast Georgia for violent kidnapping and assault spanning three counties

SOPERTON, Ga. - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested three people in connection with a violent kidnapping and assault that spanned three counties in southeast Georgia.

What we know:

Dean Tanner, 30, of Tarrytown; Lauren Bailey, 43, of Vidalia; and Jeff Sconyers, 51, also of Vidalia, were arrested on May 29, 2025, and initially charged in Treutlen County with kidnapping and aggravated assault.

According to authorities, the incident began on May 28 when the victim reported being attacked at a home on Tarrytown Road in Soperton. The Treutlen County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI’s assistance in the case.

Investigators say Tanner, Bailey, and Sconyers assaulted the victim and then forcibly transported him to a residence on Pine Street in Vidalia, Toombs County. There, they allegedly beat the victim again, rendering him unconscious, and searched for items they believed had been stolen from a warehouse owned by Bailey.

The suspects then drove the victim to a wooded area in Ailey, Montgomery County, where he was reportedly sexually assaulted.

On June 9, the GBI announced that all three suspects now face additional charges in Toombs County, including aggravated assault, aggravated battery, burglary, and false imprisonment. A new warrant was also issued for Tanner in Treutlen County for aggravated battery. Further charges are anticipated in Montgomery County.

Tanner, Bailey, and Sconyers remain in custody at the Treutlen County Jail.

What's next:

The case will be reviewed by prosecutors from the Dublin, Middle, and Oconee Judicial Circuits once the investigation is complete, the GBI said.