A Newcastle man has pleaded guilty to two felonies in connection with sexually abusing a 3-year-old girl and threatening a sheriff’s deputy with a knife.
Gary L. Collamore, 69, pleaded guilty to class B unlawful sexual contact and class C criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon at the Lincoln County Courthouse Sept. 14, according to court documents.
Collamore will return to court for a sentence hearing at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 9.
The unlawful sexual contact charge stems from Collamore’s abuse of a 3-year-old girl in spring 2013, according to his indictment.
In February 2014, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services reported the matter to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, according to a July 21 press release from the sheriff’s office.
“After the investigation, charges were not brought forward due to a lack of evidence at the time,” Lt. Michael Murphy said in the press release.
In January of this year, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Chubbuck arrested Collamore for brandishing a large knife and threatening to kill Chubbuck in Collamore’s Newcastle Center apartment, according to court documents.
In the cruiser while en route to a hospital for evaluation, Collamore allegedly confessed to the sex crimes, according to Chubbuck’s report. He also told a doctor he was a “child molester.”
Collamore’s statements “reopened the earlier investigation,” according to the press release. Collamore was arrested on three counts of class B unlawful sexual contact July 14.
According to District Attorney Geoff Rushlau, who is representing the state, the remaining two counts of class B unlawful sexual contact are likely to be dismissed when Collamore is sentenced in November.
A sentencing agreement between the state and Collamore calls for a five-year sentence, with all but nine months suspended, plus six years of probation.
Rushlau said the state felt the proposed sentence was appropriate given the young age of the victim and the fact that Collamore’s plea spares the victim from testifying.
Bath attorney David Paris is representing Collamore. Paris did not respond to a request for comment.
