AUGUSTA — A Bowdoinham man pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawful sexual contact with a 6-year-old boy that occurred last summer in a Wayne campground.

Scott A. Lathan, 23, was sentenced to five years in prison with nine months and one day to be served and the balance suspended with two years’ probation.

He was ordered to stay away from the victim and prohibited from having contact with children under 16. Lathan also must register as a sex offender for 25 years under the state’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Lathan was arrested in September following an investigation by Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office Detective John Bourque.

On Tuesday at a hearing at the Capital Judicial Center, Assistant District Attorney Frayla Tarpinian said Lathan crawled into the boy’s tent and touched him inappropriately.

“Testimony would also show he was intoxicated at the time of the event,” Tarpinian said. She also told the judge that Lathan had been a friend of the boy’s family.

Lathan had no prior criminal record.

Originally Lathan was charged with two charges of Class B unlawful sexual contact with each carrying a maximum 10-year prison term. On Tuesday, Lathan pleaded guilty to one Class C charge of unlawful sexual contact that occurred between July 13 and Aug. 4, 2016.

Judge Valerie Stanfill agreed to a defense request for a 20-day delay in the start of Lathan’s prison term after the prosecutor raised no objection. Tarpinian said Lathan accepted responsibility early in the case.

Lathan, who was represented by attorney Matthew Bowe, was ordered to report to the Kennebec County jail Jan. 22.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

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