DOTHAN, Ala. — The criminal case against a former Jerry Lee Faine Elementary School teacher has been sent to the Houston County grand jury.
Johnny Dunaway is charged with 10 counts of enticing a child for immoral purposes, one count of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old and one count of interference with custody — 12 counts in total.
Houston County District Judge Bart Matthew Boothe found there was enough probable cause to believe Dunaway committed the crimes and bound the case over to circuit court.
Boothe also denied Dunaway’s request to have an electronic monitoring device removed.
Dunaway is considered innocent until proven guilty.
What “Bound Over” Means
The ruling is a procedural step, and it is worth being precise about what it does and does not decide.
A preliminary hearing in Alabama district court asks a narrow question: is there probable cause to believe a crime was committed and that the defendant committed it? That is a substantially lower threshold than the standard required for conviction, which is proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
A judge who finds probable cause has not found the defendant guilty, has not weighed the full body of evidence, and has not resolved any disputed question of fact. The finding means only that the case may proceed to the next stage.
Binding a case over sends it to the grand jury, which considers whether to return an indictment. A grand jury proceeding is not a trial either. It hears from prosecutors rather than both sides, and its function is to determine whether formal charges should issue in circuit court.
If the grand jury returns an indictment, the case moves forward in circuit court, where a defendant enters a plea and the matter proceeds toward trial or resolution.
The Monitoring Ruling
The judge’s denial of the request to remove the electronic monitoring device is a separate decision from the probable cause finding.
Electronic monitoring is a condition of pretrial release — a restriction imposed while a case is pending, not a punishment. Courts weigh requests to modify release conditions against factors including the nature of the charges, the risk of flight and the safety of the community. Denying the request leaves the existing conditions in place as the case advances.
What Comes Next
The matter now sits with the Houston County grand jury. No trial date has been set, and the case remains at an early stage in the process.
No information identifying anyone involved as a victim is being reported.