A man accused of sending an obscene picture and harassing an ex-girlfriend and her family says he was set up by them and plans to sue them for liable once his name is clear.
The man, Clifford S. Bechtel, 28, is charged with sending harassing texts to his ex-girlfriend and a picture of his private parts to the girl’s father. He was bound to the grand jury on charges of harassment and distribution of obscene material.
However, Bechtel says he never sent any obscene pictures to his girlfriend’s father as he is accused of doing.
“The pictures that were allegedly sent to his phone by me were in fact sent to his daughter almost two years ago,” Bechtel said of the accusations. “My phone records will show I have not sent or even received any kind of messages from his phone in well over 12 months.”
Bechtel said things are not as they appear since the phone in question has been used by different family members.
“The phone he is claiming to be his was his daughter’s,” Bechtel said. “I received several nude and illicit videos and pictures from her during a period where we were trying to work out our differences. When I decided it wasn’t going to work, she gave the phone to her father who decided to have me arrested stating I had sent the pictures to him.”
Bechtel said the ill will was caused by a heated debate over visitation he wanted with their 2-year-old daughter. He noted any texts between the two had to do with visitation.
Bechtel said he plans to seek civil damages once the criminal case against him is laid to rest.
“When all this mess is over and my name has been cleared of these petty and childish accusations, I will be filing a lawsuit for libel, defamation of character and punitive damages,” Bechtel concluded.