COVINGTON -- A former teacher, church and scout leader was sentenced to 55 years in prison for sex crimes involving children.
Dennis C. Mischler molested male students, scouts and family members as young as 3-years-old for more than 40 years, according to District Attorney Warren Montgomery's office.
The investigation into Mischler began in 2010 when the US Postal Inspection Service found Mischler's name in the database of a Canadian company that produced and distributed child pornography.
Allegations of molestation and oral sexual battery were uncovered when investigators began questioning those associated with Mischler. They also found that Mischler had been arrested for molesting children three times before in Mississippi and Arkansas, but those charges were refused.
“We have an entire system failure,” Assistant District Attorney Collin Sims said during the trial.
Mischler testified in his own defense, disputing all of the claims, but the jury found him guilty after less than an hour of deliberation.
Some of Mischler's victims testified before the sentence was announced.
“You’re a monster,” one of Mischler's family members said to him. “You tried to tear us down…You tried to make me a monster like you. You didn’t.”
Another victim, who also is a family member, submitted a four-page letter, which was read in court: “From the age of three until I was thirteen, you abused and raped me,” the letter said. “You did all this in the name of ‘showing your love,’ as you have told so many of your victims.”
Judge August J. Hand sentenced Mischler to 10 years in prison on each of the oral sexual battery counts and 15 years on the molestation charge, the maximum sentence allowed for those charges. Those sentences are to be served at the same time.
Hand also sentenced Mischler to 40 years in prison for each count of pornography involving juveniles and 15 years for each count of pornography involving juveniles under 17. The pornography charges are to be served concurrently, but they are to begin after Mischler has completely served time for the oral sexual battery and molestation charges.
