Indiana Teen Sentenced to 54 Years for School Bus Rape

A 16-year-old Indiana teenager was sentenced on Monday, August 24, 2026, to 54 years in prison for raping a nonverbal 7-year-old child on a school bus. Landon Doty was tried as an adult in Jennings County following the 2025 incidents.

Doty received a total sentence of 54 years, with 50.5 years to be served in the Indiana Department of Corrections and the remaining 3.5 years suspended to probation, as reported by local media outlets including WISH and WLKY.

A two-day jury trial in April resulted in Doty's conviction on 12 felony charges, including rape, child molesting, and sexual battery. He was 15 years old at the time of the offenses, which occurred over several weeks and culminated in an April 17, 2025 incident captured on bus surveillance cameras.

The assaults stopped after a bus monitor observed Doty push the victim from his lap and alerted the bus driver, prompting officials to pull the bus over and separate the students. Jennings County Schools was then notified of the situation, according to WXIN and WLKY.

Court records indicate that a juvenile probation officer requested the case be waived to adult court, describing Doty's behavior as some of the worst he had seen and necessary for public safety.

During the trial, the defendant denied the criminal allegations while offering an explanation for his actions on the vehicle.

"Calming techniques," said Landon Doty, Defendant, regarding his interaction with the victim.

Defense counsel further argued that neither the bus driver nor the monitor observed any explicit sexual acts taking place on the bus, according to WDRB.

Following the incident, the school district updated its safety protocols by seating students individually and increasing adult supervision on special transportation vehicles. The victim's family has filed a lawsuit against the Jennings County School Corp. alleging a failure to protect the child, while also advocating for statewide policy updates regarding special needs transportation.