28-year-old Lodi music teacher Dakota Mellen arrested for possessing child pornography, October 4, 2024.

Dakota Mellen, a 28-year-old music teacher in Lodi, Wisconsin, was arrested on October 4, 2024, for possessing child pornography. The Columbia County Sheriff's Office, aided by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, executed a search warrant at his home following a tip from the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Mellen faces 20 counts and will not return to school while the investigation continues, with no current evidence linking the charges to students.