PALERMO — A man found banging on a 16-year-old girl’s window one night was arrested days later after police say they found out the two had a sexual relationship when the girl was 15.

Jason Baldwin, 38, of Palermo, was charged with sexual abuse of a minor, refusing to submit to arrest and escape, after Baldwin ran into a house when a detective told him Friday that he was about to arrest him, Lt. Jason Trundy of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office said.

Trundy said sheriff’s deputies responded to report that Baldwin was banging on the 16-year-old’s window, trying to talk to her, on Nelson Lane July 29.

No arrest was made that night, but in follow-up discussions with the sheriff’s office, Trundy said the girl indicated she had “some sort of a romantic relationship” with Baldwin and it had recently ended.

On Friday, Trundy said a sheriff’s office detective went to Baldwin’s home, met him outside and told Baldwin he was going to arrest him.

Then, “he made a statement that he wanted to call his mother and went inside quickly and locked the door,” Trundy said.

He evidently made contact with his mother, who Trundy said soon arrived at the home and persuaded Baldwin to leave the home and submit to arrest.

Under Maine law, those over 16 can legally consent to sex. Those 21 or older, however, can only legally have sex with somone younger than 18 if the two are married. The abuse offense is a class C felony in Maine.

Baldwin is being held at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset on $10,000 cash bail or $50,000 property bail, a jail official said Tuesday.

Michael Shepherd — 621-5632
mshepherd@mainetoday.com