Green Forest teacher faces felony charges

A Green Forest High School teacher is free on a $75,000 bond after being arrested on two felony charges and one misdemeanor stemming from alleged inappropriate contact with a 15-year-old female student.

An arrest warrant was issued Monday, Jan. 9, for Dustin “Dusty” Lee, according to a press release from Green Forest police chief John Bailey, and Lee was later arrested at his mother’s home in Van Buren.

Lee initially was booked into the Crawford County jail but later was transported to the Carroll County Detention Center in Berryville, where he was booked in Thursday, Jan. 12, on felony charges of second-degree sexual assault and internet stalking of a child as well as a misdemeanor charge of endangering the welfare of a child. He was released on bond later that day.

Lee, 45, is an English teacher at Green Forest High School. Green Forest School District Superintendent Matt Summers said Monday, Jan. 9, that a Green Forest teacher, whom he did not identify, had been “suspended from all contractual obligations.” The Green Forest School Board was scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Monday, after press deadline for this issue.

According to a probable-cause affidavit written by Green Forest police detective Allen Phillips, an investigation began after Summers spoke with school resource officer D.J. Harlan on Jan. 4. During his meeting with Summers, Harlan was asked to review “SnapChat” messages between Lee and the female student, who is in Lee’s English class, the affidavit says.

According to the affidavit, the messages reviewed by Harlan included:

• “I will hug the f*** out of you.”

• “You should go to bed with me.”

• “You can show me everything but I am still interested in you.”

• “I like boobs and legs, but i also like you kiddo.”

• “Shut the f*** up and love me.”

• “Or just get me arrested.”

• “You are fun. I don’t care who you f***.”

Another message used a slang phrase to suggest that Lee could perform oral sex on the student, according to the affidavit.

On Jan. 6, the affidavit says, the female student was interviewed at Grandma’s House Child Advocacy Center. During the interview, the student confirmed that Lee did send the messages, the affidavit says. The student also said Lee sent messages wanting to get her out of class and meet with her in his classroom, according to the affidavit, as well as offering to take her to a buffet. The student also said Lee has had previous conversations about his prior sex life, the affidavit says.

When the student was asked during the interview if she had ever received a touch that she was not comfortable with, she said Lee has at times leaned on her resting his hand on her breast, according to the affidavit.

The student said during the interview that Lee has sent her a nude picture depicting him naked when he was 20 years old, the affidavit says. The student said she could see Lee’s genitals and described him as lying down nude looking at a book, according to the affidavit.

On Saturday, Jan. 7, Phillips spoke to Lee at his home, the affidavit says. Lee told Phillips that he had messaged the student but said he didn’t send the messages the student had accused him of sending, according to the affidavit. Lee told Phillips that he abuses a medication with similar side effects to Ambient and often could not remember doing things, the affidavit says. Lee then told Phillips that he had never sent nude photos to the student, according to the affidavit.

At one point during the conversation, Lee picked up his phone and said he would show Phillips the messages but then set the phone down and said it was about to die, the affidavit says.

Phillips asked Lee if that was the only phone he had, the affidavit says, and Lee confirmed that it was. Phillips then told Lee that he was going to seize the phone and obtain a search warrant, according to the affidavit. Lee then grabbed the phone and said: “You’re not taking my f***ing phone,” the affidavit says. Phillips grabbed Lee’s arm to prevent him from destroying evidence, the affidavit says, and Lee stood up and said again that Phillips was not getting his phone. Phillips eventually was able to get Lee to put the phone down and Phillips took possession of the device, according to the affidavit.

Lee is scheduled to appear in Carroll County Circuit Court on Monday, Feb. 6.