CAMDEN — A former teacher at a private school in Camden was arrested last week and accused of sexually assaulting a female student a decade ago.
Clifford J. Barnes, 34, was charged with four counts of Class C gross sexual assault, one count of unlawful sexual touching and one count of unlawful sexual contact.
Clifford J. Barnes Courtesy of Knox County Jail
Barnes had lived in Camden but most recently resided in Canby, Oregon, according to court documents. He waived extradition to Maine last week and was booked into the Knox County Jail on Dec. 22 and held without bail.
He made his first court appearance on Wednesday, when Judge Eric Walker set $15,000 cash bail. Barnes was represented at the hearing by attorney Matthew Morgan. He is next scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 29.
The affidavit filed by Camden Police in court states that the alleged victim came to the Camden Police Station in 2023 to report the alleged assaults, saying they occurred from the fall of 2013 through the first half of 2014.
The girl was 16 years old at the time and was attending the private Wayfinder School in Camden, where Barnes was a teacher and overnight counselor.
She told police that Barnes began flirting with her and then asked for her phone number. The contact became sexual and offenses occurred three to four times a week, according to the affidavit. The assaults occurred at his residence in Camden, as well as in school van and at school.
State law makes it a crime for a teacher to have sexual contact with a student even if the student is otherwise at a legal age to consent to sex.
The school had asked Barnes about his relationship with the student back in 2013-14 but he denied any inappropriate behavior as did the student. The woman told police that Barnes had told her that she would get in trouble and he would go to jail if she reported their relationship.
The affidavit also states that Barnes was suspected of having inappropriate contact with another girl at the school. Camden Police Chief Randy Gagne said the department looked into those allegations years ago but there was nothing that could be proven.
Gagne said Barnes has not taught at the school for several years. The Wayfinder School is on vacation this week and school officials could not be reached for comment.
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