AUGUSTA — A former Fairfield police captain was convicted Thursday of violation of privacy for using a computer to record conversations between his estranged wife and others when he was not in the home.

Richard L. Frazee Jr., 65, of Benton, who was an officer at the department from 1988 until May of 1999, pleaded no contest to the charge during a hearing at the Capital Judicial Center, where his now ex-wife, also a former Fairfield police officer, urged the judge to reject the plea agreement.

Justice William Stokes told her he was accepting the deal worked out between the state and Richard Frazee’s attorney, Walter McKee, and that Frazee automatically would be convicted of the charge.

In exchange for the plea, charges of interception of oral communications and disclosure of wire or oral communications were dismissed.

The complaint said the violation of privacy occurred between Aug. 1, 2014, and Jan. 7, 2015, in Benton.

Frazee was fined $500 and agreed to forfeit the computer to his former wife.

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The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh told the judge that “as this couple headed to divorce, Mr. Frazee installed some sort of software program on the home computer that allowed the computer to record conversations when he wasn’t present.”

Cavanaugh said some recordings were turned over to a guardian ad litem who was appointed to represent the children’s interests in the divorce.

“Hopefully that conviction, this process will convince Mr. Frazee he should not continue this conduct,” Cavanaugh said.

McKee said the dispute was born out of a difficult divorce.

Stokes told Frazee’s ex-wife he had no authority over the state’s decision to dismiss the other charges.

“I understand it’s been a difficult marriage for many years, but I’m focused on the remaining charge, and that’s what I’m going to sentence Mr. Frazee on,” Stokes said.

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Richard Frazee had no prior criminal record, Cavanaugh said.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams


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