EICHMAN
More details have become available regarding allegations behind the arrest of a Topsham man involved in local youth theater organizations following a court appearance earlier this week.
Henry A. Eichman, 56, was arrested at his Pleasant Street home Friday and according to court documents, faces two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor under 12, sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of unlawful sexual contact and violation of privacy.
Eichman made his first court appearance Monday in West Bath District Court, appearing via video link from a Wiscasset jail, according to published reports.
Five charges stem from alleged offenses that took place in the current year, and the last from an incident that occurred in 2014.
Sexual exploitation of a minor under 12 is a Class A crime, punishable by up to 30 years incarceration and a $50,000 fine.
Topsham Police received a referral from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services via the Sagadahoc County District Attorney’s Office.
Since 2008, Eichman has worked as a part-time drama teacher at St. John’s Catholic School in Brunswick, according to a report in the Portland Press Herald.
Eichman is also the founder of the Midcoast Youth Theater Group, where he is described as a teacher, according to an affidavit from Topsham Police Detective Mark LaFountain.
According to the affidavit, there are four girls who reportedly spent the night at Eichman’s residence on multiple occasions and attended pool parties there. The girls are or were members of Midcoast Youth Theater Group.
Two of the girls, both age 10, were allegedly sleeping in the same bed as Eichman. One of the other children “reported seeing this man on top of one of the 10- year-old girls and he was ‘moving up and down,’” the affidavit states.
A 10-year old and 12-year-old girl both described a bucket Eichman allegedly kept near the swimming pool for the children to urinate in rather than using the bathroom in his apartment. One of the girls said she was being recorded while using the bucket on one occasion.
One of the girls described in the court document an occasion when they had to sleep on Eichman’s living room floor while he was on the couch. She said she woke to find Eichman taking pictures of two of the girls who were sleeping. Eichman allegedly made the girls sleep without underwear.
The 12-year-old girl described two occasions when she was sitting on Eichman’s lap, which Eichman allegedly required her to do in order to use a laptop computer, according to the affidavit. Wearing boxers, Eichman then allegedly fondled her.
LaFountain reports that he interviewed another of the four girls, who indicated Eichman touched her in her private areas more than once.
Eichman remained at Two Bridge Regional Jail Tuesday night. His bail was set at $5,000 bash or $50,000 real estate.
If released, Eichman is barred from having contact with children under the age of 16 or have contact with any of the victims or witnesses according to his conditions of release. He is prohibited from any school property. He is not to return to the Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church in Topsham or be present at functions of the Midcoast Youth Theater Group.
Eichman is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 9.
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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