Former Chesterton English teacher, debate coach charged with child seduction
Police took a now-former English teacher and debate coach at Chesterton High School into custody Monday on felony charges of child seduction and obstruction of justice for allegedly starting up a sexual relationship with one of the students on the debate team and then forcing her to lie about the relationship to school officials.
Dakota McCoy, 31, of Valparaiso, was taken into custody by deputies with the Porter County Sheriff’s Department without incident Monday morning, according to a post on the Chesterton Police Department Facebook page.
He is charged with three felony counts of child seduction and one felony count of obstruction of justice, according to charging documents.
McCoy, who also previously served as an instructional assistant at the high school, allegedly began a sexual relationship with the student, who has since graduated and is identified as Victim 1, in 2016, when the student was a sophomore, and continued through her senior year in 2018, according to the charges.
McCoy’s employment with the Duneland School Corporation has been terminated, Superintendent Chip Pettit said in a statement released to the Duneland school community.
“The safety of our students is non-negotiable and we are dedicated to maintaining a nurturing and secure learning environment. The allegations concerning this staff member are contrary to the ideals, standards and expectations of our school culture and community,” Pettit said.
On Sept. 14, a former student provided information about an alleged inappropriate previous relationship between herself and McCoy that occurred more than five years ago, Pettit said.
“Upon receipt of this information, an investigation involving local law enforcement ensued and the employee (now a teacher at CHS) was immediately removed from the classroom. Subsequently, the teacher’s employment with the corporation was terminated,” he said.
The school corporation has been cooperating with law enforcement and the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office since the allegations were made, Pettit said, adding the school district received authorization Monday from the prosecutor’s office to share information about the investigation.
“We will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement and the Porter County Prosecutor’s pursuit of this matter. Given that the matter is part of a criminal prosecution, we are unable to provide further comment,” Pettit said.
The relationship, which the former student said was consensual, ended her freshman year in college in 2019, according to charging documents.
“Victim reported there were approximately 50 sexual encounters between her and Dakota McCoy when he was working as a Speech and Debate Coach/Teacher at Chesterton High School,” documents state.
McCoy would “hang out” after debate meets with team members, usually on Saturdays, and there were times when he would take her home last after giving other students rides home.
“Victim 1 advised that after a while of hanging out with McCoy during after school hours the lines would get blurred,” according to the charges.
McCoy reportedly would hang out with students after 9 p.m. and give them cigarettes and alcohol. The former student said that sometime during her sophomore year, she and McCoy started to communicate with each other using Snapchat or WhatsApp “because McCoy was worried about anyone finding out about his relationship with Victim 1 and these types of apps were harder to track.”
The former student told police that the first time she had sex with McCoy was at a house party in Chesterton when she was “extremely intoxicated” and he followed her into a bathroom. Other sexual encounters reportedly took place in McCoy’s car and at his mother’s home.
The former student, according to the documents, spoke to an assistant principal at the high school about the allegations two years ago and “lied because McCoy had already contacted her and pressured her into lying on his behalf.”
She later emailed the assistant principal a reported recording of a phone call between herself and McCoy in June 2022 about their relationship.
In the portion of that conversation provided in the charging documents, the woman tells McCoy he was having sex with her when she was 16 or 17 and in high school.
McCoy reportedly says he “felt a sense of guilt and shame” and went on to say, “I should’ve known better I don’t have any kind of excuse.”
The former student goes on to say that McCoy called her and asked her to lie to the assistant principal. “I lied for you, I covered for you,” documents state.
“I get that, I think you’re right. Would you want to meet in person? You’ve sent me in a panic,” McCoy said.
The Chesterton Police Department’s Investigative Division has made the investigation its top priority, Police Chief Tim Richardson said in his department’s Facebook post.
“Porter County Prosecuting Attorney Gary Germann and his staff as well as the Duneland Schools administration have provided the CPD with invaluable assistance, particularly in establishing a timeline of McCoy’s employment with the Duneland School Corporation. The existence of this criminal investigation was not previously disclosed to preserve its integrity, until probable cause had been formally determined by a judge in a court of law.”
“This case remains an ongoing criminal investigation and, as such, no additional information will be released at this time,” Richardson added. “The Chesterton Police Department continues to search for any additional witnesses, or current or former students, who may have information regarding the allegations against McCoy. I urge anyone with information to please contact either the CPD’s Investigative Division or any Duneland School Resource Officer.”
Detective Cpl. Chris Schoof and Patrol Detective Cpl. Arwen LaMotte are the lead investigators in this case. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact either of them at 219-926-1136.
