The live-in girlfriend of a Harpswell man who was charged last week with repeatedly raping a young girl has been charged in connection with the case.
Holly Colfer, 33, was arrested Friday and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The alleged abuse occurred over a period of nearly two years.
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Amos Johnson, 38, was arrested by Cumberland County sheriff’s deputies on Feb. 26 and charged with 32 counts of gross sexual assault, after an investigation into reports that he abused a girl who is a relative of Colfer’s and is now 13.
Johnson appeared in court the next day. His bail was set at $100,000 property or $50,000 cash. He was still in jail Monday. He faces as much as 25 years in prison on each count.
Colfer was charged not because she participated in the abuse but because she knew about it and failed to report it, said Lt. Donald Foss of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
She was arrested and taken to the Cumberland County Jail on Friday, and posted $1,000 bail shortly thereafter, Foss said. Endangering the welfare of a child is punishable by as much as one year in prison.
The girl is not being identified because of her age and the nature of the alleged crime.
An affidavit by Detective Trevor Cote in support of Johnson’s arrest said the girl reported the abuse to police on Feb. 26. She said Johnson had told her that he wanted to have sex with her and she was worried about what he might do if he said no. The girl said the encounters began when she was 11 and continued past her 13th birthday.
Police interviewed Johnson, who initially denied the allegations but then admitted to the sexual encounters, according to the affidavit.
The girl also told police that Johnson asked to have sex with both her and Colfer, which never happened.
Colfer told police that she knew about some of the abuse and confirmed that Johnson asked about a threesome involving her and the girl, according to the affidavit.
The girl is now in the custody of the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Eric Russell can be contacted at 791-6344 or at:
erussell@pressherald.com
Twitter: @PPHEricRussell
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