Dennis Dockham of Dracut charged with indecent assault
Dennis Dockham, of 7 Third St., was arrested Tuesday night and charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery of a child under 14 and one count of posing a child under 14 for pornographic photographs.The Dracut Police have charged Mr. Dockham with “Posing children for sexual battery†and “Assault and battery on two minors.† They report that the charges do not involve any Carlisle children. Chief Sullivan and Carlisle Superintendent Marie H. Doyle met with the cafeteria staff this afternoon. They witnessed no cases of inappropriate behavior while working with Mr. Dockham who has been employed by our school system since September 2005.
Police are monitoring the school to instruct the press that they are not allowed on campus while school is in session. Â The staff will also be visible and available to protect the privacy of our children and support them through this difficult time.
The 43-year-old Dracut man faces charges of indecent assault for allegedly forcing an 11-year-old girl to pose nude and engage in sexual activity with two underaged relatives.
Investigators say Dockham, who works as food-service director for the Carlisle Public Schools, coerced an 11-year-old Revere girl to pose nude with a 7-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy, both of whom he is related to. Dockham allegedly took digital photos of the three children engaging in sex.
Carlisle Public Schools Superintendent Marie Doyle, reached yesterday, said Dockham has been placed on administrative leave, but she could not say if he would be paid.
“We just found out about it,” Doyle said. “We’re not sure what our actions will be.”
It was also unclear how long he has been employed by the school district.
Dockham was taken into custody Tuesday night and interviewed by Dracut Detective Demetri Mellonakos, who had been working with the FBI since last summer, when an undercover agent allegedly struck up a conversation with Dockham in an Internet chat room.
“At that time, Dockham told the agent that he had a sexual encounter with an 11-year-old girl,” said Detective Sgt. David Chartrand. “He was later confronted and he denied any involvement.”
Federal agents confiscated Dockham’s home computer and did a forensic search, but found no child pornography. The probe was rekindled when the Revere girl, described as the stepdaughter of a family friend, told a psychiatric counselor that she was forced to take off her clothes and pose in the nude with Dockham’s relatives. She also said Dockham sexually assaulted her on two occasions. Dockham allegedly told the children not to tell anyone or he would go to jail.
The girl said the incidents all took place in Dockham’s Dracut home.
When questioned by Dracut police Tuesday night, Dockham admitted to taking about a dozen pictures of the 11-year-old girl and the 7-year-old girl while they showered, Chartrand said. He also allegedly admitted to taking about six additional photos of the girls engaging in sexual activity with each other on a sofa. Chartrand claims Dockham then admitted to taking another 12 or so photos of the 11-year-old boy on the sofa with the girls. All three were engaging in sexual activity. Dockham allegedly told police that all the photos were taken in December 2004.
Dockham was arraigned in Lowell District Court yesterday and released with an electronic ankle monitor. He was ordered to stay with a relative and to have no contact with the victims or to return to his house. A pretrial hearing was set for March 15.
Chartrand said the Police Department requested bail be set at $50,000, but he was released from the station Tuesday on $40 cash bail.
Police have confiscated Dockham’s cameras and memory cards to have them examined. None of the photos was distributed, police said.
February 14th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
Supposedly this guy has a previous record of the same incidents. Can anyone research this with Dracut Police?
February 17th, 2006 at 11:18 am
A TIP
His brother, Joseph Dockham has been in jail since the 80’s for the same thing. Also, a cousin relocated to Florida, again.. in jail for the same thing. Worth looking into.
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Oh yeah..nice…another one, eh?
Any relation with mr Brian O’Hare..my onetime company commander in the MAARNG..Military Police no less!
This clown took a nutty and went ballistic on me because of a cannabis incident at a concert that I owed up to during a mandatory urine screen.
How come those solons up on Beacon Hill won’t take this stuff seriously?
The Lawyers Guild of Massachusetts has the General Court…our representatives…in their clutches.
Where’s our pitch forks and torches..oh yeah, we’re too busy watching stupid crap on the tele.
Besides, we’re a much kinder, gentler society now…we’re much more advanced.