Judge sets competency hearing for child Coralville man is accused of sexually abusing

IOWA CITY — A judge on Friday set a January competency hearing for a child who was 3- to 4-years-old when she was allegedly sexually abused while in the care of a Coralville man, who previously owned and operated a child care center.

During the hearing, Johnson County Assistant Attorney Oubonh White asked 6th Judicial District Judge Ian Thornhill to set a competency hearing because the child, now 5, was so young when the alleged sexual abuse happened in November 2021.

Thornhill, at the Jan. 19 hearing, will determine if the child is competent because she will be required to testify during the March 19 trial in Johnson County District Court.

White, in her written motion, said the child may not fully understand the responsibilities of an oath administered at trial or she may be unwilling to respond to questions posed by the judge or defense attorneys.

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Jeffrey Dodds, 64, husband of former Coralville City Council Member Jill Dodds, is charged with two counts of second-degree sexual abuse. If convicted of both charges, he faces up to 50 years in prison

Jeffrey and Jill Dodds owned and operated Simple Abundance Child Care since 1998, according to the center’s website, which has been removed from the internet. The facility “voluntarily surrendered their license on Dec. 31, 2021,” Alex Carfrae, spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Human Services, said after Dodds was arrested.

At that time, Carfrae said, the only complaint DHS had on file about the child care center was for a dog bite causing injury in 2017.

Jill Dodds resigned from the city council in April 2022 after Coralville Mayor Meghann Foster asked her to resign. Foster wasn’t aware Dodds would resign at the April 26, 2022, council meeting.

“As mayor, I feel that I have to think about what's best for the entire community, and I just felt that it was in the best interest of the entire community for her to step down,” Foster said.

She said the majority of the council agreed with her decision.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com