AUGUSTA — A Waterville man already classified as a lifetime sexual offender has been indicted on a new charge of gross sexual assault in connection with a woman in Benton.
David Louis Woodard, 55, pleaded not guilty to the charge on Friday when he was arraigned at the Capital Judicial Center via video from the jail next door.
If you need help
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-871-7741.
You may also visit the Sexual Assault Crisis & Support website at silentnomore.org
To learn more about sexual violence prevention and response in Maine, visit the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault online at mecasa.org.
Judge Tom Nale told Woodard that the class A charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney David Spencer requested bail be set at $5,000 cash, but Nale set it at $25,000, citing Woodard’s criminal history and the seriousness of the offense charged.
Attorney Stephen Bourget, representing Woodard as attorney of the day, told the judge, “Mr. Woodard is not able to make $5,000 bail or anything else.”
Woodward has two previous convictions for unlawful sexual contact, one in 2000 in Bangor Superior Court, and the other in 1988 in Newport District Court.
The indictment, handed up April 19 by a grand jury in Kennebec County, was unsealed only after Woodard’s arrest Thursday morning.
The indictment says Woodward “did engage in a sexual act with (a woman) who submitted as a result of compulsion” on Dec. 5, 2016, in Benton.
A second charge appearing on the indictment was dismissed. No other details were available in the court file.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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