Great write-up and read on the sentencing of Robert DeClercq, who is referred to as Bob at the link in the comments. (Highly recommend.)
He’s the 71-year-old man from Grosse Pointe who was sentenced to serve 25-60-years in prison for CSC. Here’s the snapshot from the article on Substack which was sent into MDCR with some images you’ve not seen yet.
We also have Bobs mugshot. Looking pretty rough in his blue jumpsuit in Jackson, but when you’re going to be 96-years-old at your first parole hearing I’d expect to look like shit too.
“On May 2, an Oscoda County jury found the 72-year-old Declercq guilty of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct — vaginal penetration and anal penetration — of a person under 13.”
COMMENTS FROM THE JUDGE:
“One task that we have as parents and as grandparents is to care for our children. It’s one of the most important tasks that we have in life,” Morse-Bills said. “When you violate that trust and you do the opposite of what we are supposed to do for our children, we actually harm them instead of protecting them, it is … a heinous act. Children who endure sexual abuse live with that abuse for a lifetime. And though it is horrible, horrendous what happened to (the victim), it is certainly notable that (she) was a strong enough little girl to be able to vocalize that, to express what happened and to help put an end to any abuse that has occurred at the hands of Mr. Declercq. (She) is going to be dealing with this for the rest of her life, and Mr. Declercq, you also will, and rightfully so.”
The defendant “violated” his obligation to keep his granddaughter safe, the judge said. “You took advantage of her age … You took advantage of your position with regard to her. She trusted you. You were her grandfather. When she was using the bathroom, you took her clothes off of her and you continued to sexually violate her in a moment when she was unable to protect herself. She would have had no way of knowing or predicting what was about to happen. It’s a horrible act what you did. And it is heinous.”
