The new charges likely involve another victim since police say other children came forward since Dunaway’s arrest last week.
DOTHAN , Ala. - A Dothan teacher’s road to freedom took a detour overnight. That’s because police investigators charged him with three additional counts. As Johnny Mark Dunaway, 55, prepared to post a $1 million bond on nine sexual misconduct charges, there came three additional charges.
So, instead of a direct path to his release from the Houston County Jail, officers charged him with three additional felonies and then returned him to the county jail where he posted $300,000 additional bond, bringing his total bond amount to $1.3 million. During a bond hearing preceding Dunaway’s release, Houston County Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Stanley alleged that Dunaway said he would, “blow head off or blow off the heads of his family” if the child disclosed of the misconduct.
Dothan Police Investigator Melissa Phillips testified during the hearing that her concern about Dunaway’s danger was heightened when officers found a “plethora” of firearms in his home when they searched. Phillips testified that she considers Dunaway a flight risk, a claim refuted by defense attorneys.
Phillips described the investigation as expanding and told Houston County District Judge Benjamin Lewis other alleged victims have reported abuse and additional charges are likely alongside the nine the Faine Elementary math coach currently faces, including sex abuse of a child under 12 and enticing a child. Dothan Police Chief William E. Benny said months passed between the first complaint to school officials about Dunaway’s behavior and when police were notified.
Phillips said she suspects that Dunaway also acted inappropriately when he later taught in Georgia but admitted she lacked documentation to substantiate her suspicionsIn a statement last week, Dothan City Schools said neither the school board nor Superintendent Garrick Askew was aware of the initial complaint, which came from an anonymous tip. He currently faces 12 charges, including enticing children and sexual abuse of a child under 12.
The latest alleged incidents involved a boy, though preceding charges did not publicly identify the victim’s sex. The new charges likely involve another victim since police say other children came forward since Dunaway’s arrest last week. Download the WTVY News4 app to get alerts and stories the moment they are published. Available for FREE in the‘It disgusts me’: 3 Autauga County educators arrested in child abuse investigationShe recognized the signs, he survived: Couple shares stroke recovery and risk factors
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