MASON CITY — The courtroom battle surrounding a Mason City couple accused of showing and distributing explicit photographs without permission is still raging months later, with one defendant moving toward a possible plea and the other preparing for an October jury trial.
The legal turmoil adds another messy chapter to a relationship that appears to be on the rocks. Court records show both Christina Jo Dodge and Matthew Alan Dodge (pictured at top in jail phortos) have previously sought domestic-abuse protection from the other.
Police said the investigation began after a person reported that Christina Dodge entered a Mason City business and displayed explicit photographs showing the reporting party naked or undressed. The person allegedly had not authorized Dodge to possess or distribute the images.
Authorities further alleged that Christina Dodge repeatedly contacted the person through texts, emails or other electronic communications. Investigators later developed allegations that Matthew Dodge had distributed explicit photographs of another person without that individual’s knowledge or consent.
Court records show Matthew Dodge filed a petition seeking relief from domestic abuse involving Christina Dodge in July 2025. The case was dismissed later that month. Christina Dodge had filed a similar petition involving Matthew Dodge in January 2023 before asking the court to cancel it several days later.
The explicit-photo investigation produced one criminal case against Matthew Dodge and two separate cases against Christina Dodge.
Matthew Dodge is charged with first-degree harassment, an aggravated misdemeanor, stemming from an alleged offense on Aug. 2, 2025.
He entered a written plea of not guilty on Jan. 26. His case has since passed through a lengthy series of continuances, with trial dates repeatedly pushed back during the spring and summer.
His next pretrial conference is scheduled for Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. A jury trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 20 at 8:30 a.m. in Cerro Gordo County District Court.
The court also denied a request involving a no-contact order in Matthew Dodge’s case on Aug. 24. The available docket information does not identify who made the request or explain the court’s reasoning.
Christina Dodge faces first-degree harassment in one case and third-degree harassment in a separate simple-misdemeanor case.
The first-degree harassment charge is an aggravated misdemeanor tied to an alleged offense on Aug. 5, 2025. She entered a written plea of not guilty to that charge on Feb. 10.
After numerous delays, the court scheduled a plea hearing in that case for Sept. 15 at 8:15 a.m.
A no-contact order was entered against Christina Dodge on Aug. 7 after her attorney filed notice of consent to the order and asked the court to cancel a related hearing.
Her second case involves one count of third-degree harassment, a simple misdemeanor, for an alleged offense on July 31, 2025.
That case had been scheduled for a non-jury trial on Aug. 28. However, Christina Dodge’s attorney filed a motion Aug. 11 asking the court to cancel the trial and instead schedule a plea-and-sentencing hearing.
The court continued the matter and scheduled a hearing for Sept. 15 at 8:15 a.m.—the same time listed for the plea hearing in her aggravated-misdemeanor case.
Although those filings indicate Christina Dodge may be preparing to resolve both charges through a plea agreement, no guilty plea, adjudication or sentence is currently listed in either case.
Matthew Dodge’s case also remains without a disposition.
Both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until guilt is established through a plea or proven in court.
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