Jerold Chester Dunning (also known as Chester Dunning, Jerry Dunning, C.J. Dunning, J.R. Dunning, Junior Dunning, and Jerold Chester Dunning, Jr.), born December 7, 1959, in Michigan, is wanted for allegedly engaging in lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under the age of 16 in St. Petersburg, Florida, between 1996 and 1998. According to reporting on the case, Dunning was the boyfriend of the victim's mother at the time; the victim disclosed the abuse to a school guidance counselor in October 1998, after confiding in a friend. Dunning was arrested on October 14, 1998, charged with multiple counts of lewd and lascivious behavior upon a child, and released on bond. His trial was scheduled for June 29, 1999, but he failed to appear in court.
A state arrest warrant was issued for Dunning by the Circuit Court, Pinellas County, Florida, on June 29, 1999. A federal arrest warrant was subsequently issued by the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, after Dunning was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The FBI's Tampa Field Office leads the fugitive investigation. Dunning has ties to Florida and Tennessee, and the FBI states he may have fled from the United States to Brazil. He is described as a white male, 5'7", 170 pounds, brown hair and eyes, with a scar above his left eye, and has experience working with fiberglass and building boats. Identifiers: NCIC W057145730. Anyone with information is asked to contact their local FBI field office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
