Wife charged with attempted cover-up
A former Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was previously arrested in Macon for offenses that took place at his Jones County residence was recently indicted by a Jones County Grand Jury for multiple counts of child molestation and incest.
Michael Scott Dorough was still on shift in Macon when he was arrested March 17 with the assistance of the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Dorough held the rank of sergeant in the department. The officer was charged in Jones County with incest, cruelty to children in the first degree and influencing witnesses.
His wife Ashley Dorough was arrested at the residence the same day and charged with cruelty to children in the first degree and influencing witnesses. Both remain in custody without bond.
Michael Dorough was indicted June 5 for a total of eight counts of child molestation, one count of aggravated child molestation, three counts of incest, five counts of child molestation, and one count of influencing a witness. Ashley Ann Dorough was also indicted June 5 for influencing a witness and two counts of cruelty to children in second degree. According to investigators, Michael Dorough had been on the radar of Jones County Sheriff’s Department Investigators for quite some time. He was arrested March 11, 2024, at his Jones County residence, as a result a domestic situation that became physical with a family member. That case was ultimately dropped June 20, 2025, reportedly because the victim did not want to prosecute.
JCSO Investigator Lt. Crystal Murphy said in a March 19 interview that information recently received refocused the investigation. It is believed that Dorough is the father of a child conceived with a stepdaughter while he was married to her mother. That is the reason for the incest charge.
Murphy said the behavior of Ashley Dorough, as the case against Michael developed, is the reason for her charges. She is alleged to have taken an active role in the coverup of the crimes.
The indictment spells out each crime associated with the charges, including Michael Dorough having sexual intercourse with a child related to him by marriage and committing multiple immoral acts with that child and another child related by marriage.
Michael and Ashley are both indicted for attempting to influence witnesses by intimidation.
The wife’s two counts of cruelty to children described criminal negligence of the mother for not preventing the contact to the children by Michael despite being informed they were being abused.
