AUGUSTA — An Augusta man was arrested Thursday on sexual assault and other charges involving a 14-year-old girl in Augusta.
Arrested on a warrant by Augusta police, 39-year-old Shawn R. Haggan made his initial court appearance on charges of gross sexual assault, unlawful sexual touching and unlawful sexual contact Friday at the Capital Judicial Center.
The gross sexual assault charge is tied to a Nov. 11, 2018, incident in Augusta in which Haggan allegedly engaged in a sexual act with the then-14-year-old victim.
The two other charges — unlawful sexual contact and unlawful sexual touching — involve the same victim and, according to the court complaint, both took place Dec. 1, 2017, also in Augusta.
Affidavits in the case were sealed, at the request of Assistant District Attorney Michael Madigan, because the person identified as the victim is a minor.
The gross sexual assault charge, a felony, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Haggan did not enter a plea Friday in his initial court appearance.
Bail initially was set at $2,500 cash, but Justice Robert Mullen agreed, at the urging of David Geller, acting as an attorney of the day on Haggan’s behalf, to alter bail to $2,500 cash or $500 cash with a contract with Maine Pretrial Services to supervise him while on bail.
Geller said Haggan, who is employed as a roofer, had no way to come up with $2,500 and probably would have a hard time even coming up with $200 bail, which is the amount he asked the court to set as bail.
“I appreciate the seriousness of the charges, but he’s had no convictions since 2001,” Geller argued. “He’s a good candidate for lower bail and a higher level of supervision. If he was held on that high amount of cash, that’d result in him being held in jail, probably, for months” until the case is heard.
Assistant District Attorney David Spencer sought bail of $1,200 with Maine Pretrial Services supervision, noting that Haggan did have convictions since 2001 on his record, though they were mostly traffic infractions. He said the serious charges against Haggan are such that some suspects would be likely to “absent themselves.”
A dispositional conference in the case is scheduled for March 19.
Bail conditions include a ban on contact with the victim.
Keith Edwards — 621-5647
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