AUGUSTA — A Clinton man pleaded not guilty Thursday to six counts of sex offenses involving children that allegedly took place in the period from 2009 to 2016.

Robert A. Perkins, 39, who was indicted in March, was arraigned Thursday and pleaded not guilty to one charge of gross sexual assault, one count of sexual abuse of a minor and four counts of unlawful sexual contact, all in the town of Clinton.

He also previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of unlawful sexual touching for allegedly subjecting a minor to sexual touching in October 2018 in Waterville.

The gross sexual assault charge, a class A felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison, alleges Perkins engaged in a sexual act in 2012 with a boy who at the time was younger than 14. The boy said he had considered Perkins, a family friend, to be his uncle and would sit in his lap.

In the sexual abuse of a minor charge, Perkins is accused of engaging in a sexual act with the same boy in 2013, who was then 14 or 15, according to an affidavit filed in court. The class C crime is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Each of the four unlawful sexual contact charges involves different girls in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2016, three of whom were under the age of 12 and one of whom was 14, at the time of the alleged sexual contact. Three of them are class C charges, while one is class B, punishable by up to 10 years.

Perkins remains free on $10,000 bail after being arraigned Thursday at the Capital Judicial Center.

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