SKOWHEGAN — A Farmington man was sentenced this week to serve 20 years in the state prison after pleading guilty to four of 16 counts of gross sexual assault on two girls in Skowhegan — one who was under the age of 14 at the time, and another who was under the age of 18 when the attacks happened.
Joseph L. Magee, 40, of Lamkin Lane, in Farmington, had been indicted in June by a Somerset County grand jury on 16 counts of rape of a child, some alleging compulsion and, in at least one of the incidents, a threat using a hammer while the sexual assault took place.
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If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-871-7741.
You may also visit the Sexual Assault Crisis & Support website at silentnomore.org
To learn more about sexual violence prevention and response in Maine, visit the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault online at mecasa.org.
District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said Magee pleaded guilty to a total of five felony class A charges of gross sexual assault — four in Skowhegan and one from Farmington, in Franklin County.
Eight of the charges in the Skowhegan indictments were listed as being class A felonies, punishable upon conviction by up to 30 years in prison on each charge. Eight other charges were class B felonies, punishable by up to 10 years in prison on each charge.
There also was a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence assault on one of the child victims.
The assaults happened beginning in June 2014 and lasted until April of this year.
Three of the four other charges of gross sexual assault on the same girls in Farmington were dismissed, along with the remaining charges listed in the indictments in Skowhegan in exchange for the guilty pleas entered Wednesday.
Magee was sentenced to the 20 years with the state Department of Corrections with none of the time suspended, meaning he will serve the entire sentence, according to court documents in Skowhegan. Once he is released from prison, Magee must serve 10 years on supervised release, to be followed by another 10 years of probation.
Maloney said supervised release has more oversight than probation.
Magee also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life when he is released, she said.
“I thank the victims for their courage in speaking,” Maloney said in an email Thursday to the Morning Sentinel. “Their courage has enabled us to protect not only them but other future victims as well. They are to be commended and should feel proud of themselves. Their courage is protecting our community.”
According to an affidavit in support of probable cause for Magee’s arrest by Farmington police Detective Marc Bowering, Magee “admitted to having sex” with one of the teenagers “anywhere from 60 to 70 times in the last year or two.”
Bowering wrote that one of the girls “told me that Joseph called her into trailer and while holding a hammer, raped her. …”
The full affidavit on the charges remains impounded by the court.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow
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