Landon Doty was a fifteen year old in Indiana who would sexually assault a seven year old on a school bus
According to court documents Landon Doty was traveling on a school bus when he would sexually assault a seven year old non-verbal autistic child
School bus monitors would notice that Landon Doty displayed odd behaviors involving the seven year old child including forcing the child onto his lap. The odd behavior would continue for several weeks
Ultimately Landon Doty would be arrested and charged and convicted of rape, child molesting, sexual battery, criminal confinement where the victim is under four years of age and public indecency. Doty was tried as an adult and will face sentencing at a later date
The parents of the seven year old is suing Jennings County School Corporation for being negligent in the way it handled the case.
Landon Doty Case
A Jennings County teen has been found guilty of raping a 7-year-old non-verbal autistic child.
Following a two-day jury trial that concluded on Wednesday, 16-year-old Landon Doty was found guilty of rape, child molesting, sexual battery, criminal confinement where the victim is under four years of age and public indecency.
According to previous reports, Doty was formally charged as an adult on June 12, 2025. The filing at the time cited a school bus video that captured multiple instances where Doty reportedly assaulted the autistic child over a period of several weeks on a Jennings County school bus. Doty was 15 years of age at the time.
Officials first became aware of Doty on April 17 of last year when a school bus monitor reported seeing Doty push the 7-year-old from his lap. The monitor then asked the bus driver to pull over before they separated the students and reported the incident to Jennings County Schools.
Doty reportedly testified during the trial that he did not sexually touch the 7-year-old, instead claiming he used “calming techniques,” WDRB reported. Attorneys representing Doty also claimed that the bus monitor or driver never observed any sexual acts taking place between Doty and the 7-year-old.
The June 9, 2025, filing after Doty was waived to adult court described him as “beyond rehabilitation under the juvenile justice system; and it is in the best interest of the safety and welfare of the community that the child stand trial as an adult.”
The filing also included testimony from an officer, who said the case involving Doty “is the worst he has seen during his 39-year career as a juvenile probation officer.”
The 7-year-old’s family filed a tort claim against the Jennings County School Corporation during the initial investigation. The family alleged at the time that the district was negligent in the way it handled the case.
On Thursday, FOX59/CBS4 learned that Wagner Reese, LLP has filed a federal lawsuit against Jennings County School Corporation on behalf of the 7-year-old victim’s family.
Doty is set to be sentenced on April 27 at 1:30 p.m.
Jennings County teen found guilty of raping 7-year-old on school bus
