A retired Kennebunk police officer who was accused of sexually abusing a minor pleaded guilty in a plea deal Thursday to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to one year of probation.
Andrew Belisle, 74, had previously been charged with more serious counts of gross sexual assault against a teenage girl and unlawful sexual touching. Belisle has denied the abuse allegations. Both felony counts were dismissed by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday.
The plea deal marks the end of a four-year ordeal for Belisle and the teenage girl, who had told a school counselor in 2021 that Belisle had sexually abused her on multiple occasions a couple of years earlier.
Neither the girl nor her family were in Cumberland County Superior Court for the hearing on Thursday. Her mother, who asked not to be identified to protect the girl’s identity, said her daughter still struggles as a result of the sexual abuse and the lengthy court process has not helped.
The Portland Press Herald is not naming the girl, who was a minor at the time.
“At least this way, we know he’s guilty of something,” the mother said.
Belisle’s attorney Vincent LoConte said that pleading was “totally cost benefit analysis of the risk of going to trial.”
“Obviously, we still maintain his innocence,” LoConte said after the hearing. But even if Belisle was acquitted by a jury, LoConte added, it wouldn’t change public opinion.
Belisle agreed in court on Thursday not to have contact with the girl or her mother. As part of his probation, he will commit to a psychosexual evaluation and follow any recommended treatment programs that stem from his results.
Belisle was close to having a jury trial in February when it was revealed that prosecutors had gotten the girl’s age wrong, which amounted to an error in the criminal charges. Prosecutors dismissed those charges and filed new, more serious charges.
The girl had been prepared back then to testify in court, her mother said.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Coleman told a judge Thursday that his office reached the misdemeanor plea deal with Belisle to avoid the girl having to testify.
The girl’s mother said that when a victim advocate called on Tuesday to explain the plea deal, she and her daughter weren’t told that a trial was still an option. She said a prosecutor called her back on Thursday morning and asked if the girl wanted to move forward with a trial, after the family said they were disappointed by the deal.
“But because it’s been four years, and she’s so tired, she didn’t want to testify,” the mother said. “We agreed to just end it and deal with it.”
LoConte said he had been planning to request on Thursday that the charges against Belisle be dismissed, after raising concerns in July that Belisle’s right to a speedy trial was being violated.
He said Belisle has spent almost three years living under restrictive bail conditions, and that his reputation has suffered the longer he’s had to wait for his day in court. LoConte said Belisle has also lost contact with family members and suffered health issues since he was charged.
“This was a compromise where no one is happy,” LoConte said.
Belisle retired in 2020 after more than 45 years in law enforcement, having also worked as a police officer in Sanford and Lebanon. Belisle told detectives before he was charged that he was still working part-time for the Kennebunk Police Department.
Kennebunk Police Chief Robert Mackenzie said in a statement Thursday evening that he was disappointed by Belisle’s “actions that led to this, as we hold our officers, current and retired, to a high standard.”
“Our thoughts are with the victim and their family as they work through this, and hopefully can gain closure with the outcome of today’s plea,” Mackenzie wrote. “We thank those involved who have helped this victim and their family throughout the process. We strive to work hard to ensure victims feel safe and are encouraged to report crimes.”
Mackenzie said a plaque on a bench outside of the building, dedicated to Belisle for his service, has been removed.
