Gezler Heron
ALFRED — An Ogunquit suspect charged with allegedly raping an Alfred women last year is currently scheduled to go on trial March 18.
Gezler Heron, 23, of Ogunquit was arrested June 7 and charged with gross sexual assault and aggravated assault.
Heron is scheduled to begin trial at 8:30 a.m.on March 18 at York County Superior Court, according to the court clerk’s office.
Police were contacted on May 29, 2018, by the father of a 21-year-old Alfred woman who was allegedly raped by Heron the day before, according to an affidavit by York County Sheriff’s Deputy Shawn Sanborn. The young woman said she didn’t initially report the incident because she was afraid Heron would harm her and her family.
The woman said she had known Heron for about two months, and had been introduced to him after her sister met him on the dating website Tinder, according to the affidavit.
Heron came over to the woman’s house on March 28, 2018, to smoke marijuana, but neither had any, and her brother left the house to get some, the young woman told police.
The woman said she told Heron she didn’t like him romantically, but Heron said she was “playing with him,” according to the affidavit.
Heron allegedly told the woman that he wanted to have sex with her and there would be consequences if she refused. When she refused he allegedly began to squeeze her throat, according to the affidavit.
The woman told Heron that “no means no,” and he replied “this isn’t a debate,” according to the affidavit.
Heron then allegedly pinned her on the couch, locked the door, and began to squeeze her throat so that she couldn’t breathe. He told her that was what happened to girls who did not do what they were told, the affidavit states.
“This is how women like you end up dead or missing,” he said, according to the affidavit.
Heron also allegedly bent the woman’s sprained ankle and beat her until she had a bruised buttock.
The woman told police that Heron held a pillow to smother her and she was terrified that he was going to kill her.
Heron was released from York County Jail after making bail, according to jail officials.
Gross sexual assault is a Class A crime which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years, and aggravated assault is a Class B crime, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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