AUGUSTA — An Augusta man and former mental health worker for Motivational Services allegedly sexually abused a mentally ill client during a four-year period.
Wayne Draper
Wayne O. Draper, 55, was indicted by a Kennebec County grand jury last week on two counts of Class C gross sexual assault, both involving the same woman, a deaf and mentally ill client who lived in an apartment at Sunrise House. That is where he was a mental health worker for Motivational Services, a mental health agency.
The indictment alleges that twice in July 2017 Draper had sexually assaulted the woman, who received services from his employer.
An affidavit filed by Augusta police Detective Tori Tracy alleges Draper had a sexual relationship with the woman for four years, and he had sex with her in her apartment multiple times — when other staff were away from the home with other clients — and at least once in an agency van while he was taking the woman home from a doctor’s appointment.
The affidavit states Draper removed a camera that was outside her door at the facility, which made it so other staff were unable to see who was coming and going from her apartment. The victim told police she had “had a paranoid incident” and had once moved the camera herself, but said she never requested that it be moved, stating removing it was Draper’s idea.
The victim told police Draper would bring her things like lottery scratch tickets, a piece of furniture, cigarettes, soda, food and other items. When she told him she did not want to have sex with him, such as during a couple months when she had a boyfriend, Draper would tell her he would not give her money, or buy her cigarettes or soda anymore, Tracy’s affidavit alleges.
The woman said she felt stressed and alone in her first few months at the facility because she did not know anyone in the area and it felt good when Draper started paying attention to her.
The woman, officials of the facility told police, has been diagnosed with hyperkinetic disorder, borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive disorder. They said her diagnosis was well known to staff, including Draper.
Draper, who is also deaf and had worked for Motivational Services for 20 years, was initially suspended by the agency when the allegations surfaced, and has since been fired, according to Executive Director John Zarrilli.
“He no longer works here,” Zarrilli said Thursday. “When the allegations came forward we immediately suspended him and investigated the allegations. We notified adult protective services and called the police.”
Jackie Farwell, communications director for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, said the state was made aware of the situation in 2017 and launched a review and confirmed that law enforcement was involved in the case.
Motivational Services contracts with, and is licensed by, DHHS.
Draper’s attorney, Luke Rioux, could not be reached for comment on the case.
Draper, who is scheduled to be arraigned March 17 at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta, was released on $10,000 bail, with conditions including that he have no contact with the victim or any Motivational Services residents.
The indictment gives an Augusta address for Draper, but other court paperwork in his case file indicates he is living in Pittston.
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