AUGUSTA — A Fairfield man pleaded guilty Wednesday to raping his then-wife in April and May 2015.

Raymond R. Killam, 43, entered the pleas to two charges of gross sexual assault at the Capital Judicial Center as his former wife and her family watched.

Killam’s attorney, Andrew Wright, told Justice Donald Marden that Killam was entering the guilty pleas under the Alford doctrine, which indicates he believes a jury could convict him if the state provided the evidence it says it has.

District Attorney Maeghan Maloney sat with the victim during the hearing.

“She wants other women in a similar situation to know they don’t have to accept abuse,” Maloney said after the hearing. “They can speak up and the abuse will stop. She thinks there’s probably other women out there like her. Even when you’re married, ‘no’ still means no.”

Killam is to be sentenced in September, a time when Wright said several of Killam’s relatives can participate.

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At that time, the state is expected to dismiss the remaining 10 charges in the indictment against Killam as well as several other charges brought afterward, according to the prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh told Marden.

Both the prosecutor and the defense attorney told Marden that there was no agreement on the penalty to be imposed, and Marden conveyed that directly to Killam.

Killam acknowledged that.

Cavanaugh said the state would be seeking a prison term that would “approach 30 to 40 years.” Wright said he anticipated arguing for something considerably less.

“This was a late decision (to plead guilty),” he said. “We are uncertain at this point what we’re going to be arguing.”

The victim agreed Wednesday to be identified as his wife. They have since divorced.

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Cavanaugh said the couple had a troubled marriage, and Killam had been convicted of assaulting her and violating a protective order and had been in some domestic violence counseling.

Killam’s wife began keeping a diary of the assaults in an electronic form to prevent him from reading them, Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh said Killam moved out of the home after his wife sought help from friends after the attacks intensified, and at one point she went to the emergency room for treatment.

Cavanaugh said Killam initially denied intimidating her into sex and “assumed he had standing consent because they were married.”

Killam previously was convicted of a sexual assault on a previous spouse, Cavanaugh said. Records show Killam was convicted in 2005 in Androscoggin County Superior Court of unlawful sexual contact and given a suspended four-year prison sentence.

Marden ordered that Killam be held without bail pending sentencing.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams


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