AUGUSTA — A former Oakland driving instructor pleaded no contest Friday at the Capital Judicial Center to a charge of unlawful sexual contact that occurred with a student.
Michael D. Stowe, 41, of Waterville, was automatically found guilty by Justice Donald Marden.
The offense occurred May 13, 2015, and the victim was a 16-year-old girl.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Kristin Murray-James, said the victim reported the incident to her mother the day after she took her driver’s test.
Stowe’s attorney, John O’Donnell, said Stowe had lost both the driving instructor job at KMD Driving School in Oakland as well as a job as a school bus driver as a result of the complaint. Murray-James did not know where Stowe was employed as a bus driver.
Stowe was sentenced to serve an initial 10-day portion of a 364-day sentence and placed on probation for a year. The jail time is delayed until 6 p.m. Oct. 16.
Probation conditions prohibit him from contact with the victim, from unsupervised contact with girls under age 18, and require that he undergo sex offender counseling and treatment if needed.
The conviction on the misdemeanor offense means Stowe must register as a sex offender for the next 10 years.
Murray-James told Marden the victim was notified of the proposed sentencing agreement in the case and was in favor of it.
Jury selection in the case had been scheduled on Friday.
O’Donnell told the judge that Stowe wanted to plead “no contest” because he continues to maintain his innocence, but recognizes that a jury hearing the victim’s testimony could return a guilty verdict.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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