A Waldoboro man who pleaded no contest to several charges, including the assault of an infant, in Lincoln County Superior Court Aug. 4 could face 18 months behind bars if a jointly recommended sentence goes through.
Tylor Miller, 19, pleaded no contest to assault, a class C felony, violation of condition of release, a class C felony, and theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, a class D misdemeanor.
A number of other charges against Miller were dismissed as part of the plea: another class C assault, another class D theft charge, two burglary charges – classes B and C, and two other violation of condition of release charges, classes C and E.
Miller’s involvement with law enforcement in these cases started back in February 2013 in Wiscasset.
While at the scene of a fire that destroyed a shed in a trailer park on Birch Point Road, Wiscasset Police Officer Donald Smith noticed a large quantity of melted metal and copper wiring and suspected a possible burglary, Chief Troy Cline said at the time.
Police investigated, and Miller, then a resident at the trailer where the shed was located, and Ronald E. Williams Jr., then 41, also a resident there, were arrested in the days following the fire.
Miller was indicted by grand jury in May 2013 for burglary and theft at two other Birch Point Road residences as a result of the investigation.
In June 2013, Waldoboro Police Officer Tom Hoepner responded to Miller’s Waldoboro residence on an anonymous report of child abuse through the Department of Health and Human Services.
There, police discovered a 7-month-old infant left in Miller’s care had bruised eyelids, cheeks, and buttocks, according to written statements by Detective Jason Benefield.
Miller allegedly told the child’s mother the injuries resulted from the child falling off of their bed, according to Benefield.
The child was examined by doctors from Maine Medical Center and a nurse practitioner at Spurwink Child Abuse Center, and the staff believed that the child was assaulted on two different occasions, according to Benefield’s statement.
In the course of the investigation, Miller made statements that in dealing with the “fussy infant” he had forced the child’s “binky” into the child’s mouth “hard, but not too hard,” Assistant District Attorney Andrew Wright said at Miller’s plea hearing.
Stemming from the investigation, Miller was indicted in September 2013 on the two assault charges and violation of condition of release.
The other violation of condition of release charges alleged Miller broke bail conditions relating to contact with the infant’s mother.
Sentencing for the three charges Miller pleaded no contest to will take place at a later date, but Wright shared a recommended sentence with the court during the plea hearing, which Miller’s attorney, Darrick Banda, confirmed was his understanding of the plea agreement.
For the assault charge, Miller is recommended to be sentenced to five years’ incarceration with all but one year suspended, followed by four years of probation.
Probation conditions would include no contact with the infant or the infant’s mother, and he would undergo mental health evaluation and treatment.
For the violating condition of release charge, Miller would serve a six-month sentence concurrent with the one year term, but a six-month sentence for the theft charge would be served consecutively.
After accepting Miller’s pleas, Justice Daniel Billings said he will take input of the victims into consideration during sentencing but his current intention is to accept the plea bargain as recommended.
Miller will remain in custody until the sentencing, Billings said.
“I’m hoping that we move forward and that we have the input from the family and we make certain it goes through,” Wright said of the proposed sentence. “Looking out for our children is one of our top priorities.”
Banda had no comment on the outcome of the case.
