An instructor with Poplar Bluff Junior High School was arrested at the end of February in relation to an alleged inappropriate relationship with at least one minor student.
He faces two felony charges of second-degree sexual abuse and enticement or attempted enticement of a child, and a misdemeanor charge of second-degree sexual misconduct.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed with the Butler County Courthouse, Dominique Hardimon of Poplar Bluff was investigated after police received information regarding an employee of the junior high sending inappropriate messages to students through social media.
According to the report, investigators met with and interviewed Hardimon on Nov. 29, 2023. During the interview, Hardimon initially claimed to only have one Snapchat account, but when pressed by investigators, admitted to having another one. The second account he provided matched the one that investigators had received information about, they said.
The report states Hardimon denied any inappropriate contact with students, but after the initial investigation, three other students came forward and claimed to have had correspondence with Hardimon through Snapchat.
One of the students shared a detailed account of messages she received from Hardimon. In the alleged messages, Hardimon was described as wooing the student and telling her how much he loved her. This student participated in a forensic interview in late December and explained “that she had met Hardimon at the Poplar Bluff Junior High School while he was employed as an instructor,” the affidavit said.
The student alleged Hardimon sent her a friend request on Snapchat, which she accepted. According to the report, the messages started to become more regular over time and eventually started to become romantic in nature.
In one reported instance, the student posted a Snapchat story with her address and stated she wanted a Sprite. Hardimon responded to the Snapchat story and replied that he was on his way, arrived with the Sprite a short time later and then left.
As their interactions continued, Hardimon reportedly insisted he and the minor should have a “relationship” and told her he hoped he was not caught, because he would face serious legal issues. The affidavit said Hardimon started pressuring the minor through messages about wanting to have a physical relationship with her, and at one point sent her an inappropriate picture of his clothed body.
During the investigation, Hardimon’s phone was inspected. Investigators said they located a screenshot of a love note. It was not made clear in the affidavit for whom the note was intended.
When reached for a comment on the matter, Poplar Bluff Superintendent Dr. Aaron Cornman said: “When we learned that this incident occurred outside of school, we immediately took steps to protect our students. While we need to respect the privacy of any minors, we have been actively working with law enforcement to hold the individual involved accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
“As a school district, we do everything we can to protect students in our learning environment. Unfortunately, in our advanced technological society, things are difficult to control when school is not in session. However, we do have policies and procedures in place to direct how staff members conduct themselves whether on or off campus, and the district will not tolerate communication that violates these policies.
“We greatly appreciate those who came forward to prevent anything more from happening, and encourage parents and/or students to notify us if you are aware of something so that we can fully investigate. Safety will always remain our number one priority.”
Cornman went on to say that Hardimon’s employment was terminated with the school after the district became aware of the violation of school board policies.
Hardimon was arrested and later released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in court at 1 p.m. Thursday for a case review.
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