4:10 p.m. UPDATE
Copyright, The Republic, Columbus
By Andy East | The Republic
aeast@therepublic.com
JENNINGS COUNTY — Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding said Tuesday that he intends to file 11 criminal charges against a 15-year-old male in connection with a reported rape on a Jennings County school bus.
Landon Doty, 15, of North Vernon, was booked into the Jennings County Jail as an adult at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and is being held without bond, according to jail records.
Belding said he expects the charges against Doty to include rape, child molest, sexual battery, criminal confinement, public indecency and “there are attempts associated with those counts as well.”
Belding said his office has sought to try Doty as an adult due to “the nature of the case” and “the seriousness of the offenses.”
In April, a 15-year-old male was taken into custody as a juvenile in connection with the alleged rape, which was reported through a school resource officer to the North Vernon Police Department.
The 15-year-old male was accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old boy on a Jennings County School Corp. special needs school bus, according to investigators.
The 7-year-old, a special needs student in second grade, was taken for medical care following the incident.
North Vernon Police Chief Keith Messer said in an earlier interview that investigators were looking into multiple incidents and multiple locations involving possible sexual assault on the bus and are still reviewing the bus camera footage to determine if other assaults occurred. Investigators were reviewing about three to four months of bus camera footage as part of the investigation.
The Republic spoke with Jennings County Sheriff Kenny Freeman on Wednesday morning seeking information from the jail on the case, but Freeman has not provided any information requested about the 15-year-old being housed as an adult in the jail.
Belding said he intends to file the adult charges on Thursday.
3:50 p.m. UPDATE
JENNINGS COUNTY — Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding has confirmed that the 15-year-old arrested on a warrant as an adult for Level 3 felony rape and Level 3 felony child molesting is the 15-year-old juvenile taken into custody in regard to the reported rape on a Jennings County School Corp. special needs bus.
Landon Doty, 15, North Vernon, was booked into the Jennings County Jail as an adult at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and is being held without bond.
THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED
ORIGINAL STORY
JENNINGS COUNTY — The Jennings County Jail has reported the warrant arrest of a 15-year-old male on adult court charges of Level 3 felony rape and Level 3 felony child molesting, with the arrest reportedly occurred on Tuesday.
According to jail records, Landon Doty, 15, North Vernon, was booked into the Jennings County Jail as an adult at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and is being held without bond.
There is no information in Indiana’s public court portal mycase about the Doty charges, and the Jennings County Clerk’s office has so far not responded to a request to provide the probable cause affidavit in regards to Doty’s arrest.
Jennings County officials also have so far refused to provide further information about whether Doty is the suspect in a reported rape on a Jennings County school bus which was reported through a school resource officer to the North Vernon Police Department on April 17.
A 15-year-old male was taken into custody in that incident and was housed in a juvenile detention center that authorities declined to identify, the Republic reported previously.
The 15-year-old male who was taken into custody as a juvenile was accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old boy on a Jennings County School Corp. special needs school bus, according to investigators.
The 7-year-old, a special needs student in second grade, was taken for medical care following the incident.
North Vernon Police Chief Keith Messer said in an earlier interview that investigators were looking into multiple incidents and multiple locations involving possible sexual assault on the bus and are still reviewing the bus camera footage to determine if other assaults occurred. Investigators were reviewing about three to four months of bus camera footage as part of the investigation.
The Republic has reached out to Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding for information about the 15-year-old who has been arrested as an adult for rape and child molest, and whether he is the same individual as the juvenile taken into custody, but has not received a return phone call.
The Republic spoke with Jennings County Sheriff Kenny Freeman on Wednesday morning seeking information from the jail on the case, but Freeman has not provided any information requested about the 15-year-old being housed as an adult in the jail.
This story will be updated.
