AUGUSTA — A Mount Vernon man pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to a charge of having unlawful sexual contact with a young child in that town in April.
James C. Beane, 66, was sentenced in Kennebec County Superior Court to 10 years in prison with all but two years suspended and 12 years of probation.
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District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said the case was handled swiftly because Beane did not want to make the girl testify.
Court records show the victim was 4 when the offense occurred, and a condition of probation bans Beane from any contact with children under 12.
Beane, who had no prior criminal record, was also required to register as a lifetime offender under the state’s Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act.
While his attorney, James T. Lawley, said he had no comment on the case following Beane’s hearing, Maloney said, “His acceptance of responsibility early influenced the sentence. He wanted to plead guilty before we even charged him.”
Maloney said the offense involved touching rather than penetration.
“That puts it at a different level than other cases we’ve had,” she said.
Beane received a stay in the execution of his sentence until 6 p.m. Wednesday. The case was investigated by Maine State Trooper Breanne Petrini.
Several other people were sentenced Tuesday and Wednesday in separate hearings in Kennebec County Superior Court:
• Lacie L. Chapman, 30, of Waterville, theft by deception March 15 in Waterville; seven day alternative sentencing program, $500 fine.
• Nathan L. Liberty, 37, of Winslow, trafficking in crack cocaine in September in Waterville; five years in prison, all but nine months suspended and three years’ probation, $400 fine. Two charges of aggravated trafficking against Liberty were dismissed in exchange for the plea.
• Jill Longstaff, 38, of Skowhegan, unlawful furnishing of scheduled drug Sept. 28, 2012, in Waterville; 364 day jail sentence, all suspended, one year administrative release, $400 fine.
• Jon Erik Smith, 33, of Litchfield, unlawful possession of scheduled drug Nov. 18, 2012, in Sidney; 364 day jail sentence, all suspended, one year probation, $400 fine.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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