Ashland City Woman Accused Of Statutory Rape

Ashland City investigators say a brief encounter at a local motel has turned into a serious felony case, with a woman now accused of statutory rape after allegedly meeting a 16-year-old there and later having sex with him in a room two weeks ago, on Wednesday. Court filings name the woman as Rosemarie Dodson and state that she threatened the teen if he told anyone, according to the affidavit. Authorities say the allegations are part of an active investigation.

According to an investigative affidavit cited by WKRN, Dodson and the boy first kissed in a car in the motel parking lot, then went to room 323, where investigators say they had sex. The document states it was clear to Dodson that the boy was underage, according to the station’s reporting, which relies on the same affidavit.

What the law says

Under Tennessee Code §39-13-506, statutory rape and mitigated statutory rape are classified as Class E felonies, which carry a potential sentence of one to six years in prison. The statute lays out different age-based categories for the offense, and aggravated statutory rape comes with tougher penalties. Legal summaries note that Tennessee generally treats anyone under 18 as unable to consent, and report that the age of consent in the state is 18, according to LegalClarity.

Help and resources

Child-advocacy centers are often where cases like this quietly land next, providing forensic interviews and trauma-focused therapy to young victims at no cost. In Nashville, the local Child Advocacy Center, the Nashville Children's Alliance, coordinates closely with law enforcement and prosecutors on child-abuse investigations. Dawn Harper, the agency's CEO, told WKRN that boys and young men account for about 40 percent of the sex-abuse victims her organization serves.

What's next

Investigators say the case remains open and have released few additional details so far. If formal charges are ultimately filed and there is a conviction for statutory rape or mitigated statutory rape, the offense would fall under a Class E felony, with a possible sentence of one to six years in prison, although the exact punishment would depend on the ages involved and other circumstances outlined in state law.