ASCOT TEACHER CLIVE DECHANT JAILED FOR HARASSMENT AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In March 2001, a disturbing case unfolded involving Clive Dechant, a primary school teacher from Ascot, Berkshire, who was sentenced to 12 months in prison for a series of alarming offenses targeting a young girl. The court heard that Dechant had engaged in a pattern of harassment that included sending obscene anonymous letters and making numerous telephone calls to the girl, who was only 11 years old at the time.

Dechant, aged 28, had been living with his parents in Ascot when he committed these acts. The severity of his actions was underscored during the sentencing at Reading Crown Court, where Judge Mary Jane Mowat described him as a danger to children. The judge also ordered Dechant to be registered on the sex offenders' register for life, emphasizing the ongoing risk he posed.

The court was informed that Dechant's harassment began with seemingly harmless gestures. Initially, he made relatively innocuous phone calls and sent letters that appeared benign. However, as time progressed, the nature of his communications grew increasingly sinister and indecent. The judge highlighted this escalation, noting the disturbing shift from innocent to malicious intent.

At the time of these offenses, Dechant was employed as a teacher at a primary school in Bracknell, where he taught children aged between nine and eleven. The prosecution, led by Gareth Branston, detailed the timeline of the harassment. The girl first received a letter in August 1999, which simply stated, “I love you.” Her family initially found the message amusing, joking about it, and did not suspect any malicious intent.

However, the situation worsened when subsequent letters arrived. One, typed on a computer, called her “sexy,” which caused concern among her parents, who initially thought it was from a school friend. The situation escalated further when another letter arrived on her birthday, stating, “You look sexy in your pigtails,” raising alarm about the possibility of her being watched. The family's fears intensified with a later message referencing “silky red pyjamas,” which suggested a disturbing level of surveillance.

Two of the messages received by the girl were described as “disgusting” by the prosecution. The emotional impact on the girl was significant; she became upset and reluctant to go out alone, indicating the psychological toll of the harassment. In addition to the written messages, the girl's family reported up to ten obscene phone calls, which they traced back to Dechant.

Police investigation revealed further disturbing evidence. In Dechant’s room, authorities discovered indecent images of children that had been downloaded from the internet. During questioning, Dechant claimed that “voices” had whispered to him, urging him to pursue his victim, a statement that added to the gravity of his offenses.

Dechant appeared before East Berkshire Magistrates Court in November of the previous year, where he admitted to three counts of making indecent photographs of children, two counts of sending obscene materials through the mail, and harassment. His actions, both as a teacher and as an individual, drew widespread condemnation, highlighting the importance of safeguarding children from such predatory behavior.