FARMINGTON — A man from Strong accused of sexually assaulting a female juvenile for nearly a year had bail set at $3,000 Wednesday in Franklin County Unified Court.
Brook E. Webster, 45, was arrested Monday on a charge of gross sexual assault involving a girl under age 18 from July 10, 2016, and July 9, 2017. He was taken to the Franklin County Detention Center.
Franklin County Detective Jacob Richards followed up on a Maine Department of Health and Human Services referral and interviewed the mother and victim Friday, according to his affidavit filed with the court.
Webster appeared before Justice Jennifer Archer on Wednesday afternoon from the jail via Zoom, as did Assistant District Attorney James Andrews and defense attorney Thomas Carey.
Andrews said although Webster had no criminal history the allegations warranted a $5,000 bail and the condition of no contact with the victim and children under age 18. What concerned him, he said, was the frequency and the duration of the alleged assaults that span several years.
The case remains under investigation, he said.
Carey said the allegations span over two decades. He said Webster had denied the allegations in previous personal conversations with people.
Webster had no criminal record, he said, and has had very significant mental health issues nearly his whole life. He requested $1,000 bail.
Archer said she read the affidavit and the allegations. She set bail at $3,000 and ordered Webster to have no contact with certain people, including the victim.
Webster posted bail and was released from jail later Wednesday. He is scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 26 at Farmington District Court.
A conviction for gross sexual assault is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.
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