Texas Horror: Substitute Teacher and Boyfriend Charged With 39 Counts of Child S*x Crimes
A Texas substitute teacher and her boyfriend are facing a combined 39 counts of child s*x crimes following an investigation into the sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl. Madison Paige Jones (30), and Zackery Dondlinger (37), were arrested in late December after a friend of the couple alerted authorities to suspicious behavior at Jones' residence.
New York, March 15: A Texas substitute teacher and her boyfriend are facing a combined 39 counts of child s*x crimes following an investigation into the sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl. Madison Paige Jones (30), and Zackery Dondlinger (37), were arrested in late December after a friend of the couple alerted authorities to suspicious behavior at Jones' residence. The two are currently being held in custody with total bonds set at approximately USD 9 million, reflecting the severity of the felony charges against them.
The alleged abuse reportedly occurred over a 12-day period in December 2025. According to court documents, Jones, who was employed as a substitute teacher for the Midlothian Independent School District (ISD) at the time, confessed to police that she assaulted the child at Dondlinger’s direction. She further alleged that Dondlinger harbored s*xual fantasies about the young girl and that she recorded the acts, sending the videos to him via Snapchat. US: Former Wisconsin School Aide Anna Marie Crocker Sentenced to 51.5 Years for Child S*x Crimes.
The investigation began on December 17 after a tip from a concerned friend. Jones was taken into custody two days later. During police questioning, she reportedly provided details of the abuse, leading to the seizure of her electronic devices, including an iPhone and an iPad.
Dondlinger was apprehended on December 23 while working on an oil rig located west of Odessa, Texas. Authorities seized two additional phones belonging to him as part of the ongoing forensic investigation into the distribution of child p*rnography. Bodycam Video Shows Arrest of Illinois Student-Teacher Who Joked About Shooting Student on Snapchat.
The couple faces a litany of serious charges. Dondlinger has been charged with 13 counts of aggravated s*xual assault of a child, along with multiple counts of indecency with a child and possession of child p*rnography.
Jones faces nearly identical charges, including 13 counts of aggravated s*xual assault of a child and four counts of indecency with a child. The high bond amounts, the highest for Dondlinger, were set due to the nature of the offenses and the potential risk to the community.
Midlothian ISD has confirmed that Madison Paige Jones is no longer an employee of the district. In a statement, the district provided the specific dates she worked as a substitute to assist investigators in determining if any other children were at risk.
While the alleged crimes took place in a private residence and not on school grounds, the district emphasised its cooperation with law enforcement. Parents in the district were notified of the situation following the public filing of charges.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 15, 2026 11:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).