CPCSC issues statement on employee charged with sex crime

A Trafalgar man who was arrested last week for showing pornography and giving alcohol to a teenager was an employee at Clark-Pleasant Community Schools.

Enos L. Dotson, 53, was arrested June 15 and is charged with dissemination of matter harmful to minors, a Level 6 felony, and providing alcohol to a minor, a misdemeanor.

Dotson was a Pleasant Crossing Elementary instructional assistant, who also worked for Honey Grove, the district’s after-school care program, according to a statement from Patrick Spray, Clark-Pleasant superintendent.

The school corporation was not made aware of Dotson’s arrest until reading the article about it in the Daily Journal on June 16, despite the investigation opening months earlier, Spray said in the emailed statement.

“Police investigators stated they had been investigating him since September, however none of the jurisdictions involved ever shared that information with the school corporation,” Spray said.

The Trafalgar Police Department opened the investigation on Sept. 15, 2021, after receiving a report of child abuse from a high school counselor, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson Superior Court 2 on June 3. A warrant was issued for Dotson’s arrest on June 15.

Once Clark-Pleasant was made aware of the arrest and charges, Dotson was immediately placed on unpaid administrative leave, pending further investigation and possible dismissal, Spray said.

As with all school employees, Dotson underwent a criminal background check before his hiring, which “did not produce any red flags,” Spray said.

The school is not aware of Dotson having illegal contact with any Clark-Pleasant students. Those with any concerns can reach out to their building principal or the CPCSC Police Department, Spray said.

Trafalgar Police Chief Charles Roberts said the department did not inform Clark-Pleasant when the investigation started because there was not enough evidence to accuse Dotson of a crime. It took months to gather the facts needed to build a case and file charges against him, Roberts said.

“We didn’t have all the facts, and we couldn’t accuse someone if we didn’t have the evidence,” Roberts said.

Roberts could not confirm if Clark-Pleasant was notified after formal charges were filed and the arrest warrant was issued on June 15.

Dotson had a teenage foreign exchange student living with him late last summer, who reported to another student at school they felt like they were being manipulated into sexual behavior by Dotson.

The teen told police the two started out playing a card game with sexual terms written on the cards. They also said Dotson would make them play challenges that involved removing clothing, according to court documents. The same day they played the card game, the teen was also drinking alcohol supplied by Dotson, court documents say.

Dotson additionally showed the victim a video of himself in his underwear where he pulled his underwear off and touched himself, according to court documents.

Shortly after the investigation was started, Child Protective Services removed the teen from Dotson’s home and they were placed with a new family, court documents say.

Dotson was arrested on June 15 and booked into the Johnson County jail, where he was released on a $2,000 bond.