Woman charged with child neglect after allegedly leaving child with sex offender and placing drugs and knife next to bed where child slept

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – April Lenette Dillon, 39, was arrested yesterday after officers investigating an allegation of sexual abuse charged her with child neglect for leaving a child with a sex offender and placing drugs and a knife on a table next to the bed where the child slept.

Gainesville Police Department officers responded to Dillon’s home after she said a four-year-old child had told her “out of nowhere” that her male friend was sexually abusing him and a forensic interview was conducted with the child. Officers at the scene reported that Dillon’s behavior was erratic and that she was “obviously under the influence of alcohol and/or narcotics.”

Dillon reportedly told an officer that the child had previously said that her male friend had touched him in a sexual way, but she didn’t believe the child. However, she reportedly said she had known for a year that her male friend was a registered sexual offender.

During a forensic interview, the child reportedly did not reveal anything about being sexually abused by the male friend, but he said Dillon uses “molly” and hits him on the head.

During a voluntary interview, Dillon reportedly told an officer that her male friend comes to her home “every day” and that she had recently left the child with him all day while she went to a medical facility.

Dillon also reportedly said that the child sleeps with her in her bed. An officer reported that she saw drug paraphernalia, surrounded by white powder, and an eight-inch kitchen knife next to Dilon’s bed, easily accessible to a child sleeping in the bed. The officer also reported seeing several cigarette butts, small pieces of suspected marijuana, and about 20 prescription medicine bottles on the floor where the child could easily access them. The white powder tested positive for cocaine.

The officer reported that Dillon has had two other contacts with law enforcement this year: in the first one, she was reportedly “screaming and cursing” at the child and appeared to be intoxicated. She allegedly kicked the child down on the side of the street and walked away, at which point an unknown male stayed with the child until the bus came. In the second incident, Dillon reportedly called 911 to get emergency medical care for the child; EMS reported that there were “substances” in the home and that Dillon was behaving erratically, and Dillon reportedly did not arrive at the hospital to be with the child until much later in the day.

Dillon reportedly resisted being handcuffed and being placed into a patrol vehicle, causing the arresting officer to sustain minor injuries.

Dillon has been charged with child neglect without great bodily harm, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting an officer without violence. She has no local criminal history but has served a 22-month state prison sentence for battery on law enforcement out of Marion County and was released in 2018. Judge Sean Brewer set bail at $21,500.

The allegations against the male friend are under investigation.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.