BANGOR (AP) — A Nebraska man has taken the stand in his own defense to deny charges that he sexually abused an 8-year-old relative in Maine nearly a quarter century ago.
Clarence Cote of Nemaha, Neb., said Thursday in Penobscot County court he did not abuse the now 31-year-old woman when he lived in Lincoln, Maine in 1990. He said the pair had a good relationship and even kept in touch when he moved out of state.
WABI-TV reports that Cote’s attorney questioned why the state took so long to prosecute when it knew of the allegations in 1994. He said the state had lost key evidence.
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