The former co-director of a youth ministry program in Canaan accused of sexually abusing a child rejected a plea deal in the case Thursday, according to the Kennebec County district attorney, and will have to be indicted by a grand jury if the case is to go to trial.
Lucas Savage, 27, of Clinton, is charged with class B unlawful sexual contact and rejected the plea deal Thursday at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta.
Savage was a co-director of Youth Haven Ministry at the time of his arrest in March. He has not entered a plea to the charge.
“We made an offer today and it was rejected, so we have not settled the case,” said Somerset County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney. If the case is to continue, a grand jury will have indict Savage, she said.
Savage is free on $1,000 cash bail with a prohibition against contact with children under age 16, with the exception of his own child. His attorney, Pamela Ames, did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
Savage was a co-director of Youth Haven Ministry, a nonprofit group that provides free programs for children and teens, including weekly children’s and teen hangouts, classes and activities.
The ministry is affiliated with, but not part of, the Canaan Calvary Church, which provided financial support to the ministry in the past.
On Thursday the ministry’s website and Facebook page were both down and it was unclear whether the ministry remains open. A phone call to the Canaan Calvary Church was not returned.
Kern Savage, president of the ministry’s six-person board of directors, could not be reached for comment Thursday. Ron Dorman, vice president, did not respond to a call seeking comment.
According to a police affidavit filed in the case, the girl identified as the victim, now 11, told her mother that Lucas Savage “had put his hand down (her) pants” and left it there when she spent the night at his home. She said Savage had touched her inappropriately “about 30 times” and that the two had exchanged “secret kisses.”
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm
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