MARIETTA - A 17-year-old Marietta High School student was formally charged Tuesday with raping a 16-year-old in a school bathroom. <br>
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Michael Lomen Dawson, a junior at the school, is being charged as an adult for allegedly raping the girl Thursday as she was on her way to lunch. <br>
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Dawson was being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. A bond hearing was scheduled for March 20. <br>
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The girl's parents reported the attack Friday, and Dawson was arrested Sunday night after the victim identified him from a school yearbook picture, police said. <br>
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Principal Gordon Pritz said security cameras helped police identify Dawson, but he said the cameras cannot prevent all incidents since they cannot be monitored constantly. <br>
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Dawson transferred to the school last year and had only a few minor disciplinary infractions, Pritz said. <br>
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A letter was sent home to parents informing them of the alleged rape and arrest. Pritz said he will answer any questions at a public forum at the high school Wednesday night. <br>
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This is the second alleged rape to occur at Marietta High in two years. <br>
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In March 2000, a 17-year-old senior was charged with molesting and raping a 15-year-old sophomore when the two were left alone in a classroom. Both were special education students.
