Jackson Jambalaya

Madison-Rankin District Attorney issued the following statement.

Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney Michael Guest announced today that Chad Harpole Dodds pled guilty to voyeurism of a child under the age of 16 and was sentenced to serve ten years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The sentence will be served day-for-day without the possibility of probation, parole or early release. Upon release from custody, Dodds will be required to register as sex offender.

On August 17, 2016, the Canton Police Department was contacted by loss prevention personnel who reported that an individual, later identified as Dodds, had followed a nine year old child into the ladies restroom. When police arrived they spoke with the child’s mother who told police that she noticed that she and her family were being followed in Walmart. She became concerned and reported this to a Wal-Mart employee who then notified loss prevention. Loss prevention then began reviewing video that showed Dodds following the family as they shopping. The video revealed that Dodds also touched himself inappropriately as he watched the child and her family.


A forensic interview was done with the child where she revealed that she had left her family to go to the restroom located at the rear of the store. While she was in the restroom Dodds entered and began peeping through the stall door. Once she exited the restroom Dodds approached her at the water fountain and attempted to lure her into the men’s restroom by telling her he “wants to show her something”. Video surveillance showed Dodds going into the ladies restroom and a short time later exiting the restroom as another female enters the bathroom.
The video also captured Dodds speaking with the victim at the water fountain and it appeared that Dodds was touching himself inappropriately as he spoke to the child.

Police interviewed the witness who walked into the ladies restroom and she told police that she did see Dodds looking into the stall where the victim was located. The witness told police that Dodds immediately exited the restroom when she entered. The victim told police that she did not immediately report what she had observed because she believed that the man was the child’s father.

Wal-Mart loss prevention was able to give the Canton Police Department a picture of Dodds and a description of his vehicle. Canton Police began canvasing the area and located the vehicle and Dodds at a nearby RV Park. Dodds was arrested and taken to the police department where he admitted to being at Wal-Mart and to accidently entering the wrong restroom. Dodds denied all that he had followed the child and her family and denied that he had inappropriately touched himself.

Guest stated, “Dodds is a sick individual who was attempting to prey upon a nine year old child in a public location. I cannot thank the Canton Police Department and the loss prevention personnel at Wal-Mart enough for all their work in helping to bring Dodds to justice.”

Guest concluded, “As a society, we must do everything within our power to protect our children from the Chad Dodds’ of the world. This conviction and sentence will now protect other children from Dobbs as he spends the next ten years of life behind bars.”

Dodds has previous convictions for Uttering Forgery, Burglary and Robbery. Dodds was on probation from his 2008 Robbery conviction at the time of this offense.

District Attorney Michael Guest was sworn into office in January 2008 and represents the Twentieth Judicial District, Madison and Rankin Counties. For more information regarding the District Attorney’s office, please visit www.daguest.com. Please follow us on Facebook, www.daguest.com or download or app.


Defendant:

Name: Chad Harpole Dodds
Address: 501 Solider Colony Road, Canton
DOB: September 3, 1970