BIDDEFORD — A Biddeford man accused of transporting a woman from Maine to New Hampshire to prostitute her is scheduled to change his plea at a hearing at U.S. District Court in Portland on Thursday, according to court records.

Grondin, 48, pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of transporting an individual in interstate commerce with the intent that she engage in prostitution at his July 28 arraignment, at which Judge Nancy Torresen also ordered him to remain in federal custody.

Grondin’s attorney, Neal Stillman, said Thursday that his client would presumably change his plea to guilty but cautioned that “sometimes those go through and sometimes they don’t.” In other words, Torresen, who is presiding over next week’s hearing as well, would have to accept a guilty plea, said Stillman.

Grondin, who allegedly pimped his girlfriend and other women through online advertisements, was arrested in July and indicted last month on the interstate pimping charge.

According to court documents, police began investigating Grondin in June, after finding his phone number on websites that are known to advertise sexual services. The investigation later yielded evidence such as a handwritten consubmitted tract signed by Grondin and his girlfriend, assuring one would not prostitute without the other and that if the woman broke the contract, she would be violated with a “claw hammer,” court documents state.

The woman later told police that she met Grondin about a year ago, and he harassed her until she agreed to work as a prostitute for him, according to court documents. She also told police that Grondin would take her across state lines for prostitution, that he would always keep all of the money she made, and that he would sometimes become physically abusive when she refused to engage in prostitution.

The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison.

— Staff Writer Angelo J. Verzoni can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or [email protected].