Neil Dolan

The Clearwater County Sheriff’s Deputy charged with criminal sexual conduct made his first appearance in Clearwater County Court today.

Neil Dolan is accused of engaging in sexual acts with a 15-year-old 9th-grade student at Bagley High School in 2017 while working as the school’s resource officer. Dolan is charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third degree criminal sexual conduct.

Dolan, who is also the Clearwater County Emergency Management director, has been placed on paid administrative leave while co-workers and community members try to come to grips with the situation.

“I think for the community it was quite a shock. The high school coach that everybody loves, the kids kind of congregated to him and would joke along with him and high five, he’s just – that’s just how I’ve seen him within the community,” said Kim Bennett, whose child attends school in the Bagley school district.

“When that trust amongst law enforcement in the community is broken, there’s some rebuilding that needs to be done and I work hard trying to make our image very positive in the community and something like this, like I said, is devastating and we’ll have to work to build trust back again,” said Clearwater County Sheriff Darin Halverson.

At Friday’s court appearance, bond was set at $1 million without conditions and $500,000 with conditions. Dolan’s next court appearance is a Rule 8 hearing, which is scheduled for December 2nd.

As of Friday afternoon, Dolan no longer appeared on the in-custody list for the Clearwater County Jail. Sheriff Halverson tells Lakeland News he is still in custody but has been transferred to a different jail.

By — Nathan Green