Former fourth-grade teacher James Eschert. (Plymouth, Connecticut Police Department)
A now-former Connecticut elementary school teacher reached an agreement with prosecutors to avoid what could have been a substantial prison sentence over allegations that he inappropriately touched numerous girls who were his students over several years.
On Tuesday, James Eschert, 53, received a suspended sentence in New Britain Superior Court after accepting legal culpability on one count of risk of injury to a minor, a felony. He was previously charged with five such counts as well as two misdemeanor counts of sexual assault in the fourth degree — and could have been sentenced to well over 50 years behind bars if he had been convicted as charged.
The disgraced ex-teacher did not, however, plead guilty or no contest, but rather, entered an Alford plea — in which a defendant maintains his innocence but concedes the state has enough evidence to convict.
The threat of prison still looms for Eschert. Judge Maureen Keegan sentenced him to five years of probation. He is also subject to a suspended 10-year jail sentence if he violates the terms of his probation, according to a courtroom report by the Hartford Courant.
The former educator taught in the Plymouth school system since 1998. That all changed in September 2021 when a former student, then a middle schooler, complained to Eli Terry Jr. Middle School Principal Angela Suffridge about past alleged misconduct.
Eschert was initially arrested by Plymouth police on Jan. 24, 2022. A complaint alleges: “inappropriate conduct … between Mr. Eschert and several juveniles who were his students at the time of the incidents.”
An ensuing investigation led to the seven charges of risk of injury to a child and sexual assault, which, in the end, were pared down to one.
One girl alleged Eschert frequently rubbed her shoulders and touched her breasts over her clothing daily to make sure she was wearing a bra. Once, the girl told police, her teacher touched her breasts directly.
Some students allege the then-teacher often invited girls to sit on his lap and forced girls to stay inside with him during recess, police said, according to an affidavit in the case obtained by Law&Crime.
Eschert allegedly took sexualized photos of the girls while they were in school. A camera recovered by authorities is said to have revealed 26 “inappropriate” images; two of the pictures allegedly showed “a close-up of a female student’s groin area while she was performing a cartwheel.” Three images “were taken from ground level and showed female students seated in a manner which exposed their groin and underwear,” the affidavit says.
One girl said Eschert would often give girls paper to decorate underneath his desk while he positioned his genitals “in her face or another girl’s face,” according to the affidavit. That same girl said her teacher would sometimes touch himself over his clothing.
Other students said Eschert was a big hugger — but only with girls, never with boys, police claimed. Sometimes, he would invite girls to his home, allegedly telling them they could stay for dinner.
Additional allegations were leveled against the defendant that contained particularly graphic descriptions of the alleged abuse.
Multiple other educators were arrested in connection with the case, alleging they swept the accusations against Eschert under the rug.
The relatively light sentencing did not go over well with at least one father of one of the alleged victims, the Courant reported.
“Risk of injury?” the father — who declined to be identified for his daughter’s sake — asked during the sentencing hearing in an irate impact statement. “Really? That’s the best you could do?”
The angry dad said it was inconceivable to him that the former teacher was getting off so light since so many of the children he taught would be suffering from lifelong trauma, including his daughter.
“This man needs to be put behind bars,” he added, calling Eschert a “monster” who engaged in “vile, disgusting and perverted conduct.”
While the father who spoke out said he was not consulted about the plea deal, a prosecutor said families of other girls were consulted after negotiations and that they supported the outcome.
The judge empathized with the upset father.
She reportedly said the arrangement would offer “very little solace” to a victim and that it would be “disturbing and inconceivable” how it all turned out for those unfamiliar with the legal system.
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