LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The jury was selected Monday in the trial of a Jennings County, Indiana, teen facing sexual assault charges.

Landon Doty, 16, is being tried as an adult for the alleged rape of a non-verbal 7-year-old with autism on a school bus over the course of several weeks.

The North Vernon teen faces a dozen felony charges, including two counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, child molesting, attempted child molesting, two counts of sexual battery, two counts of attempted sexual battery, criminal confinement and public indecency.

According to court documents, Jennings County school bus video reportedly captured several of the incidents. Records show a school bus monitor noticed Doty pushing the 7-year-old off his lap the morning of April 17, 2025. The monitor had the bus driver stop and confront Doty. The two were separated, and the monitor requested a review of the bus surveillance video.

The behavior allegedly occurred repeatedly over several weeks, according to court documents.

Opening statements in the trial are scheduled to start Tuesday, with the trial expected to end by Wednesday. 

Attorneys for Doty previously tried to get the case thrown out, claiming neither the bus monitor nor the bus driver saw any sexual acts happening. Attorneys argue video tapes from the school bus don't show the acts happening either. According to the filing, Doty's legal team deposed the bus river and bus monitor last September, writing that both testified they "saw nothing alarming" and that the alleged victim "was not acting 'funny' nor upset after the alleged acts."

Attorneys accuse the state of resting its case primarily on April 16 video tapes from the bus.

The family of the 7-year-old said he was left with permanent injuries. A civil suit was filed by the family's attorneys and alleges that the Jennings County School Corporation acted with gross negligence, violated the child's civil rights and caused permanent harm, as reported by Fox59.

A long-time court officer is quoted in the Probable Cause Affidavit as saying Doty's alleged actions are considered so heinous that he is beyond rehabilitation under the juvenile justice system. That officer described Doty "as a predator" who knew what he was doing was wrong, according to previous WDRB reporting. 

Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.

Â