LODI, Wis. (WFRV) – A 28-year-old Wisconsin teacher was arrested on Friday after a search warrant at a residence revealed child pornography.
According to a release, on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Investigation Task Force conducted a search warrant at a residence in Lodi.
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As a result of the investigation, Dakota Mellen, 28, of Lodi, was arrested and booked into the Columbia County Jail for twenty counts of possessing child pornography. Mellen was not formally charged in the Wisconsin Circuit Court system at the time of this article’s publication.
Additionally, it was learned that Mellen was a teacher within the Lodi School District.
“As the safety of our children is so important, we are working with the Lodi School District in this investigation,” stated Columbia County Sheriff’s Captain David Clark.
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This investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are possible.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Lodi Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation.
