Retired District 308 Teacher Still Jailed

Donald P. McDowell remains in Waukesha County Jail in Wisconsin awaiting trial on charges that in June he attempted to arrange to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex and possessing child pornography.

McDowell's bond had been set at $100,000. He pleaded not guilty to one count of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and two counts of possession of child pornography charges and faces a jury trial that is set to begin Nov. 13.

According to the criminal complaint, a Waukesha Police Department detective was working undercover as a 14-year-old girl in an Internet chat room on June 1 when he made contact with McDowell. McDowell asked for pictures of the girl, which the detective sent him. McDowell then sent pictures back, police said.

The two talked again on June 3 and 4 and eventually agreed to meet at a Waukesha hotel to have sex and film it. McDowell asked if the girl was a police officer, but the detective assured him he wasn’t. 

McDowell, 65, of the 500 block of Danbury Drive in Oswego, told police that he is a retired junior high school math teacher. Oswego School District officials confirmed that McDowell taught at Traughber Junior High from 1970 to 1977, and transferred to Thompson when it was built in 1977.  He worked there until the 2002-03 school year, and also coached basketball and volleyball. He went by D. Paul McDowell, officials said.

If convicted, he faces up to 65 years in prison and $200,000 in fines.