A 44-year-old Pittsfield man remains held on $50,000 cash bail on charges that he sexually assaulted the underage daughter of his live-in girlfriend.

Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said Michael Towle is charged with two counts of gross sexual assault, both Class A felonies, and with one count of unlawful sexual contact, also a Class A felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison.

Lancaster said the fact that Towle was living in a family situation with the woman and her young daughter is a major breach of trust.

“All sexual assaults are heinous,” Lancaster said. “When there is a family unit and there is a trust within the family unit, it is really egregious when you violate that family trust.”

Lancaster said the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of a sexual assault on Aug. 23 in the town of Pittsfield.

Detective Jeremy Leal, of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Division, met with the woman in Pittsfield who said her minor daughter had been sexually assaulted by her live-in boyfriend. On Aug. 24 the alleged victim was interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Waterville. During the interview the victim disclosed that she had been sexually assaulted on more than one occasion, Lancaster said.

After an interview with Towle, he was arrested at a family member’s home in Dexter. During the interview, Towle admitted to the allegations, Lancaster said.

After consultation with the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office, Towle was charged with the felony counts. He made his first appearance Aug. 25 at the Skowhegan Unified Court. Bail was set at $50,000 cash.

Towle remains held at the Somerset County Jail in East Madison.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

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