Judge sentences sailor Bob Declercq to 25 years minimum: You've shown no remorse
Victim was 3 years old at time of crime
This exclusive coverage of the sentencing hearing is the third in an exclusive series about the trial and conviction of Bob Declercq. Read the first story here. Read the second story here. Warning: Details in this story contain graphic description.
Mio — Robert Allen “Bob” Declercq of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, sat motionless in his orange jumpsuit on Monday at the Oscoda County courthouse in northern Michigan as he waited to learn how many years he would spend in prison.
He showed no emotion throughout the 45-minute sentencing hearing.
The office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel prosecuted him for assaulting his 3-year-old granddaughter in the bathroom of his second home in Fairview. On May 2, an Oscoda County jury found the 71-year-old Declercq guilty of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct — vaginal penetration and anal penetration — of a person under 13.
His wife and son sat in the front row behind the defense team, stoic.
Supporters of the young victim and her family filled seats on the other side of courtroom. Declercq’s granddaughter, daughter and an assistant attorney general urged the judge to sentence Declercq to life in prison.
“Mr. Declercq, I need to make sure you understand. You do have the right to make a statement … Do you wish to do that?” asked Circuit Court Judge Casandra Morse-Bills on Monday.
He declined to make a statement upon the recommendation of his defense lawyer, Shannon Smith of Bloomfield Hills.
The May 2020 assault carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum sentence of 60 years for each of two counts to be served concurrently — with credit for 111 days served.
“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.”
All the court had to review in terms of a statement from Declercq was a single statement emailed to Michigan State Trooper Kevin Sutton, a criminal investigator, from defense lawyer Shannon Smith, said Morse-Bills.
“Robert Declercq absolutely denies any inappropriate sexual conduct with (his daughter) and his granddaughter,” she said. “When counsel indicates that there’s no remorse for what occurred — I certainly understand there’s an appeal that is pending, so there’s no statements that are going to be made. Just that single statement is indicative that there’s no remorse for what has occurred or the damage that’s been caused to this little girl or the family. Taking of all of that into account — as well as the offense, the way it was committed, age of the victim, relationship — I find the recommended sentence of 25 years is proportionate.”
The judge’s sentencing decision immediately followed victim testimony.
A father speaks
The child victim remained outside the courtroom during the sentencing.
She asked that her daddy read her comments from a handwritten letter that began, “Dear Judge, My name is …” and went on to say, “I am nearly 9 years old. My grandpa Bob Declercq is a dangerous man. That is why I want you to please keep him in jail for the rest of his life. He should not get paroled. He will keep hurting kids like he hurt me.”
When the victim’s mother Amy Declercq stood to address the judge, she turned to look at the convicted sex offender and his wife and adult son — her father, mother and brother — when talking about betrayal of family members who fail to stand with child victims.
Editor’s note: Amy Declercq gave Shifting Gears permission to use her maiden name.
A mother shares fear, sadness
Amy Declercq told the judge that she spoke as a mother who thought a pattern of sex abuse involving her father had stopped. (This was the first of two trials for Declercq this year. A second case, involving sexual assault allegations from his daughter, is scheduled for October in Mackinac County.)
“As a child, I endured constant and ongoing emotional, financial and sexual abuse inside what should have been my safest place, my family home. My father, the man who was supposed to protect me, instead used his power to manipulate and hurt me. He made me feel worthless,” Amy Declercq said. “… He taught me that my silence and my compliance bought his love, attention and financial support. As a child, I didn’t have the words for what was happening, I just knew it hurt — constantly, deeply and silently. I learned to hide my fear. I masked to protect him. I carried shame and secrets far too heavy for a child. As I grew and developed the language to describe the abuse I was experiencing, I also gained the knowledge of the very real consequences that would come along with doing so. Instead of outing him, I learned to disconnect from my body and from my feelings just to survive. I learned to sacrifice my own happiness for the happiness of my brother and my mother. Because if my father was reported, they would also have to deal with those consequences. I believed my own safety and well-being was not as important as my mother’s happiness.”
Amy Declercq said she can’t not stand with her daughter and seek justice, though it comes with nightmares.
“Up until May of 2021, I truly believed I had broken the cycle. But then my daughter came to us with a secret that she had carried on her own for just under a year. And when this secret came to light, our world came crashing down. My daughter, my baby girl, shared that she had been abused by my father,” Amy Declercq said. “There are no words for what it feels like to look at your child and see in her eyes the pain that you have carried Your whole life. To know with certainty that she now bears the same wounds, the same fear, confusion and shame that I have fought so hard to overcome …
“My father didn’t just hurt me again, he hurt my child. He reopened wounds I’ve spent years trying to close. And he created those same wounds in my daughter He has now stolen two childhoods, leaving a legacy of harm. In talking with other family members, I’ve learned this behavior spans more than 60 years. This is not a one time mistake or a lapse in judgment. It’s a longstanding deeply-rooted pattern, a desire for preying on vulnerable girls that has persisted over his entire lifetime. I fear that if he is ever released, he will harm again. The fact that he continues to deny that he has done this to my daughter and to me is such a disappointment. It shows his complete lack of remorse and inability to take accountability for his actions. He wants people to believe he is wrongly convicted because he wants to get out of prison and he wants to reoffend … He must never be given the opportunity to do this to another child …”
It is impossible to adequately describe the pain — “betrayal of those who ignored the warnings, who looked away, who made excuses, who still make excuses,” Amy Declercq said, turning around to look at her mother and brother.
Keeping quiet to keep the peace must end, she said. “I speak not only as a survivor but as a mother, a protector and an advocate. Our daughter will not carry this alone the way I was made to. We will walk with her through this darkness and together, in time, we will heal.”
Bob Declercq watched and listened as did his wife and son, showing no visible reaction to the remarks from a woman who works as a school teacher and is a mandatory child abuse reporter.
‘Master manipulator’
Melissa Palepu, assistant attorney general, told the court on Monday that Declercq has “shown himself to be a master manipulator” who shows no remorse. “He only ever cares about himself and I think that has been evident through this entire process.”
The judge noted that the sentencing on Monday applied only to facts involving the granddaughter’s sexual assault and not testimony that may be used in the upcoming case involving Declercq’s daughter.
The defense lawyer had moved for a mistrial, complaining the judge was biased and accused the defense team of lying and misleading the jury while limiting expert witness testimony.
“Mr. Declercq has a very strong appeal ahead of him … It became very clear we were not getting a fair trial,” Smith told Shifting Gears in May.
The accomplished sailor — a former Morgan Stanley wealth manager — belonged to Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit until his conviction, when he was expelled.
Al Declercq of Grosse Pointe Park told Shifting Gears in May that his twin brother was wrongly convicted. "I still believe he's innocent and he just wasn't allowed to put on a defense. I think he's going to get a new trial on appeal and then it'll just be a matter of how that goes.”
Since his conviction, Bob Declercq has been held at the Roscommon County Jail, local authorities told Shifting Gears. In coming days, his sentencing will be processed and the Michigan Department of Correction will determine where Declercq goes, court officials told Shifting Gears.
His wife and son left the courthouse quickly and without comment. His defense attorney, who made headlines for representing convicted sex predator Larry Nassar, declined to comment to Shifting Gears after the hearing.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the correct age of Bob Declercq and the correct spelling of the judge’s first name, which were listed incorrectly in a press release sent by the state attorney general.
Find additional stories about sailing and sailors here.
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Ms Howard
Good to see you’re back.
Your DeClercq sentencing story was succinct, and although very sad, it was good to see that the judge saw that DeClercq is a pig, sick, and a certified prison bound thug.
It took courage to do investigative work on a successful sailor / member of a high brow (local to Detroit) boat club. and report to all of us that he is a rapist of a three year old girl who happened to be his granddaughter, and a rapist of his daughter!
Great job Ms Howard.
That’s why I’m your subscriber and love Substack.
PEACE
Gregg
Retired
Thanks for your coverage of this tragic story. It must have been emotionally exhausting.