UPDATE: Former Habersham SRO enters guilty plea, sentenced to probation

HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. — A former Habersham County School Resource Officer arrested last year following an investigation into inappropriate interactions with students has reached a resolution in his criminal case.

David Matthew Jackels, 47 of Cornelia, entered a guilty plea in early April to charges of violation of oath of office by a public officer and false statements. The plea was entered under Georgia’s First Offender Act, which allows a defendant to serve their sentence without a formal conviction on their record if all conditions of the sentencing are successfully completed.

According to court documents, Jackels was sentenced to 10 years of probation and required to serve 72 hours in custody. As part of the agreement, Jackels is permanently barred from working in law enforcement. He must surrender his Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification and is prohibited from seeking future employment in the field.

In addition to his term of probation, Jackels will report to community supervision and must complete 120 hours of community service.

The charges stemmed from a February 2024 investigation initiated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) at the request of former Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell. Jackels, a 25-year law enforcement veteran who served as an SRO at Wilbanks Middle School, was terminated from the sheriff’s office after internal investigators discovered he had been messaging a student.

While the First Offender status offers a path for the charges to be discharged upon completion of the sentence, the surrender of his POST certification ensures that Jackels will not return to a public safety role in the state of Georgia.