FARMINGTON – Three men have been indicted by a Franklin County grant jury this week. A total of 37 people were indicted on 66 charges after two days of deliberation.
William Sylvester, 40 of Phillips, was indicted on a Class A charge of gross sexual assault and a Class B charge of gross sexual assault.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation began following disclosures made by two juveniles that alleged Sylvester had sexually assaulted them between Dec. 1, 2013, and April 30, 2014.
Both juveniles were acquainted with Sylvester, Lt. David St. Laurent said earlier. The gross sexual assault charges were triggered by both the ages of the alleged victims and the reported use of force or compulsion.
Sylvester left Maine for Pennsylvania, where he is originally from, just as the investigation began and before he could be charged, Lt. St. Laurent said at the time. Once the investigation was completed, FCSD presented their findings to the District Attorney’s Office and a Maine-only arrest warrant was issued.
Sylvester returned to the state and once back, St. Laurent said, Sylvester became aware that the warrant had been issued and turned himself in on Nov. 3, 2014.
Joshua Austin, 27, of Farmington, was indicted on a charge of Class A gross sexual assault. Austin was arrested without incident on a charge of gross sexual assault on Sept. 12, 2014. According to the Farmington Police Department at the time, he was taken into custody on an arrest warrant after police completed an investigation based on a referral from Department of Health and Human Services in August.
Austin was an acquaintance of the alleged victim, who was under the age of 18, according to Detective Marc Bowering. The assault is alleged to have occurred on Aug. 3, 2014.
Ross Adams, 48, of Farmington, was indicted on a Class A charge of unlawful sexual contact.
He was arrested on Dec. 15, 2014, in Massachusetts on a Maine warrant accusing him of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 18. The violation is alleged to have occurred between July 4, 2014 and Oct. 10, 2014.
Farmington Police Department Detective Marc Bowering said earlier that following an investigation into allegations that a girl under the age of 18 had been sexually assaulted, Adams was charged with unlawful sexual contact.
Adams, an acquaintance of the victim, Bowering said, had moved to Massachusetts for employment when the charge came about. A few weeks ago, Massachusetts law enforcement notified Bowering they had taken Adams into custody.
Following an extradition proceeding in which Maine prosecutors requested Adams return here to face the unlawful sexual contact charge, he was transported to the Franklin County Detention Center.
A grand jury indictment means that after considering the evidence a district attorney or assistant attorney general has presented, the panel believes there is probable cause, or a “reasonable belief” that the crime occurred. A grand jury of up to 23 people need not be unanimous and does not need to be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, unlike a regular trial jury.
Castration would cure the unlawful urge.
J.D……..shouldn’t the accused be allowed to stand trial before corporal punishment is executed?
They just let johnathan Clark go on 21 counts and found him guilty on 9! What’s up w that? 15 yrs for molesting 8-12 yo boys