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Marching Band Director Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Students

Posted: 9:30 pm EDT March 22, 2008Updated: 8:31 am EDT March 23, 2008

A school trip to Disney World landed a marching band director behind bars after a 16-year-old Port Charlotte student said the teacher sexually assaulted him during the trip.

The purpose of the trip is still unclear, but deputies say Dale Bowe was friends with many of the students at Port Charlotte High School and made several trips with them to Disney World.


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''The Pride of Port Charlotte'' marching band looked to 46-year-old Dale Bowe as its leader. But after one of several special school trips to Walt Disney World, a 16-year-old boy told a school resource officer, the band director had taken advantage of their relationship.

An affidavit shows the boy told deputies in January that Bowe performed oral sex on him against his will. He provided them with key cards and documents from Disney trips taken with Bowe as well as the names of other students who went on the trips.

Bowe was barred from the school grounds, while the case was forwarded to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Just two days later, a second student came forward alleging Bowe had sexually assaulted him too.

The 15-year-old year old said Bowe often called and sent him text messages and contacted him through myspace. He told deputies that he was assaulted at Bowe's Charlotte County home, after he had invited the boy to go swimming.

Charlotte County Deputies arrested Bowe and released him days later on a $75,000 bond.

Friday, Orange County detectives brought down new charges of sexual battery for the alleged attack at Disney World. Those charges put Bowe back behind bars.

Bowe is now at the Charlotte County jail, still waiting to be transferred to Orange County.

Disney had no comment on the ongoing criminal case other than to say illegal activity is not tolerated at Disney World.

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