Wesley Dean, a former Division I women's basketball referee who officiated the national title game 20 years ago, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of probation after he pleaded guilty to child molestation charges last week in a Georgia court, according to the Cobb County district attorney's office.
His victim was a 14-year-old boy. District attorney's office spokeswoman Kim Isaza says Dean gave a full confession to investigators.
In 2005, Dean won the Naismith Women's Official of the Year award from the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The 58-year-old officiated NCAA tournament games for nearly a decade, and he was active until the time of his arrest on Feb. 5, 2017.
He remained in custody while awaiting last week's sentencing.
Dean was one of three officials who officiated the 1998 women's title game between Tennessee and Louisiana Tech. Pat Summitt's Vols won the game 93-75 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The game generated controversy as then-Louisiana Tech coach Leon Barmore questioned why Dean and two other SEC officials had been assigned to a championship game that featured a SEC school.
"I never have been concerned, and don't know how [officials are] selected," Barmore told the Baltimore Sun before the game. "But it does give me an eerie feeling."
The mother of Dean's victim reported him to police after discovering inappropriate text messages between Dean and her son. Assistant District Attorney Katie Gropper says Dean gave the teen money and gifts "with the motivation of exploiting him sexually."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.