A teacher in South Carolina has been sentenced for sending a lot of “love letters” and giving unwanted hugs to a young girl who used to be his student.
Dylan Robert Dukes, who is 27 years old, was a teacher at Starr Elementary School. He admitted in court that he kept contacting an 11-year-old girl after she was no longer in his class. He gave her more than 60 handwritten notes, including letters for every day of her summer vacation, along with pictures and unwanted hugs.
Investigators found many pictures of the girl hidden in his desk at school.
The girl’s mother said that Dukes’ actions made her daughter feel unsafe in places like church, school, and sports. She also mentioned that Dukes started going to their church, which she believes allowed him to become more obsessed with her daughter.
The police started looking into the situation after they were told about Dukes’ repeated contact with the girl. They believe they stopped the situation before it got worse.
Dukes was first charged with stalking and had to pay a $50,000 bond to be released. He was also put on leave from his job at the school.
In court, Dukes admitted he was guilty of harassment. He was given a sentence of three years in jail, but this was put on hold, and instead, he will be on probation for five years. He must also go to counseling, give up his teaching license, and stay away from the girl and her family.
The school district said they are helping with the investigation and providing counseling for students and staff.
