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| Minnesota Sheriff’s deputy Neil Dolan. |
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Sheriff's deputy charged with sexually assaulting student inside high school
New York Post
Mon November 25, 2019
A sheriff's deputy in Minnesota has been charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl inside a high school, according to reports.
Clearwater County Deputy Neil Dolan, 31, was charged Thursday with first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct after the girl told investigators they had sex inside his office at Bagley High School, KARE reported.
Dolan, who was working as the school resource officer and an assistant football coach at the time, allegedly assaulted the ninth-grader on the last day of school in June 2017 and was in a position of authority over the young victim, prosecutors said.
The alleged assault included "sexual penetration" and occurred while Dolan wore a uniform and carried a service revolver, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Bemidji Pioneer.
The accusations are the first claim of misconduct during Dolan's employment of nearly 10 years with the agency, Clearwater County Sheriff Darin Halverson told the newspaper.
"I've talked with school officials, and nobody had red flags; this came out of nowhere," Halverson said. "A lot of people had him at their family functions - that's why it is tearing the community apart."
Parents at the school - where Dolan was a popular figure - were also taken back by the allegations.
"I hope they aren't true," parent Kim Bennett told the newspaper. "But if they are, he is, unfortunately, going to pay the consequences."
Dolan, who was arrested last week, remains free after posting bond. He's due back in court Dec. 2, the Star Tribune reported.
Dolan, of Shevlin, Minnesota, has been put on administrative leave following his arrest, MPR News reported. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
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