Former South Carolina Teacher of the Year Avoids Jail After Admitting to Stalking 11-Year-Old Student

 

A former South Carolina Teacher of the Year who admitted to obsessively stalking an 11-year-old girl has avoided jail time after pleading guilty to first-degree harassment.

Dylan Robert Dukes, 27, a former music teacher at Starr Elementary School, was sentenced last week to five years of probation, despite disturbing accusations that he pursued the child for nearly a year. According to investigators, Dukes began stalking the student in August 2023, showering her with gifts, handwritten notes, and unwanted physical contact.

Authorities say he wrote the child around 60 love letters, gave her cards, gift cards, ornaments, pictures, and “unwanted hugs,” making the girl increasingly uncomfortable. After her family transferred her to another school, Dukes escalated his behavior by joining their church to maintain access to her.

The situation came to light in July 2024 when the child’s parents reported that he had given her a personalized box containing daily letters during summer break. During a search of his classroom, deputies found photos of the girl in his desk—non-sexual, but concerning given the pattern of behavior.

Investigators said they intervened before the stalking became physical, but noted the teacher’s actions appeared to be progressing toward potential sexual misconduct.

At an earlier court hearing, the victim’s mother broke down describing the fear her daughter endured at school, sports, and church—places where she should have felt safe. “I now realize that this access to my child had continued to grow his obsession,” she said.

Following his arrest, Dukes was placed on administrative leave and later released on a $50,000 surety bond. At his plea hearing last Wednesday, he received a three-year prison sentence, suspended in favor of five years of probation.

Under the plea agreement, Dukes must undergo mental health counseling, permanently surrender his teaching license, and comply with a lifetime restraining order prohibiting any contact with the victim or her family.