A 29-year-old man from Wayne was arrested Wednesday on charges he solicited photographs from a high school student and threatened her, according to law enforcement officials.
William C. Smith is accused of contacting a 14-year-old student at Maranacook Community High School in Readfield through social media and threatening her with “consequences” if she did not send him photographs, Lt. Chris Read of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement to the news media.
The student brought the information to the school’s resource officer, Deputy Nathan Johnson, who investigated her claim with the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Maine Violent Offender Task Force.
Smith continued contacting the student during the investigation, but did not realize he was messaging a deputy, Read said.
Smith was arrested Wednesday at a residence in Vassalboro on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor and solicitation of a child for commercial sexual exploitation. His bail is set at $5,000 cash.
Johnson is in his first year with Readfield-based Regional School Unit 38, after officials opted to fund a school resource officer position in the 2023-24 budget. He rotates between the six RSU 38 schools that are spread across Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield and Wayne.
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