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Case dismissed against man accused of inappropriately touching juvenile

Updated November 21, 2024 - 3:21 pm

Charges against a former mental health tech accused of inappropriately touching a juvenile patient have been dismissed, according to his attorney and court records.

Donovan Dykes had faced charges of lewdness in the presence of a child and abuse or neglect of a child mental health patient. A docket sheet indicates the case was dismissed Nov. 12.

Dykes previously worked at Desert Winds Hospital, according to an arrest report. He was “immediately terminated,” a man who said he was a spokesperson for the hospital previously told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The alleged victim had claimed that on Feb. 14, Dykes approached her and “grabbed her breast with his bare hand over her clothing,” according to the report.

The highly redacted report also states that the victim, whose age is not disclosed, had “a male birth name” and had “recently begun identifying as a female and transitioned” to another name. “This is reflected on (the victim’s) State issued Nevada Driver’s License,” the report states.

But Joshua Tomsheck, Dykes’ attorney, said his client “has been completely exonerated of these inaccurate claims.”

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told the Review-Journal the case could not proceed because the alleged victim died of acute fentanyl intoxication.

Tomsheck said he was not surprised the case was dismissed.

“There is simply no question that Mr. Dykes committed no crime or wrongdoing as the erroneous allegations occurred in the open, in front of witnesses and on video. This evidence all shows Donovan is completely innocent,” he said.

Tomsheck said his client looks forward to putting the case behind him and continuing in the career he cares about.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.

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