ROCKLAND, Maine — A 32-year-old Rockland man remains behind bars after being arrested Saturday afternoon for sexually assaulting a 3-year-old, police said.
According to an affidavit filed in Rockland District Court, Ryan S. Withee of Purchase Street admitted that he sexually assaulted the child.
A bail commissioner initially set bail at $100,000 cash for Withee. In court on Monday, Judge Susan Sparaco lowered bail to $10,000 cash.
Withee did not enter a plea at his initial appearance in court to the charge of gross sexual assault.
The affidavit filed by Detective Sgt. Christopher Young of the Rockland Police Department stated that the mother of the 3-year-old girl found the child in Withee’s bed and that the child said he had hurt her.
The child was taken to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport and evaluated for injuries. The child was not seriously injured, Young said.
Rockland police Officer William Smith interviewed Withee, who admitted to the assault, according to the affidavit.
Assistant District Attorney Chris Fernald had sought $50,000 bail at Monday’s hearing, citing the severity of the charge and a history of criminal offenses that include criminal mischief, theft, disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The gross sexual assault charge carries a potential sentence of 30 years in prison.
Withee was charged in 2005 for gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact against a girl younger than 12 years old. He was acquitted during a trial in 2005.
I hope that the legal actions for this don’t drag out so long, that the child is scarred for life. As long as the incident isn’t continuously brought up, this child should be able to live a fairly normal life, as he/she likely won’t remember it.
Where in the article does it indicate the sex of the victim?
You’re right, it doesn’t. I’m not sure where I got that from. I apologize, and I’ll edit my earlier post.
“the mother of the 3-year-old girl found the child in Withee’s bed and that the child said he had hurt her.”
I remember vividly things in my life of import from the age of 3 and I am certain I would remember something as horrific as this must have been for that poor tot.
Some kids do, and some kids don’t. My daughter, who is 6 and advanced for her age, can only tell you 2 events from that age, both were pretty big.
What I’m saying is, if it’s not sensationalized by the adults around the child, and continuously talked about, the child may not realize how bad it was, and not remember. This child will only know that it’s horrific, if he/she is constantly reminded that it is.
Children who are not allowed to talk about something this traumatic happening to them end up growing up with very deep and destructive guilt and often have behavior problems. This child needs their mother to make sure they know it is NOT their fault and that they have NOTHING to be ashamed about. The shame and guilt all belongs on the perpetrator. You can also talk about traumatic things without sensationalizing it. You just need to handle the situation with a calm, cool head. If a parent is all worked up and freaks out a child will respond in kind. If the parent stays calm and deals with things in a calm, rational, matter of fact manner the child will handle it much, much better.
WOW!!! Talk about putting words in my mouth!! I NEVER said not to let the CHILD talk about it. I said that I hope the ADULTS don’t dwell on it and SENSATIONALIZE it. There is a difference.
My ex was bit by a dog when he was just 3. He was bit badly. He was allowed to talk about how much it scared him, and what he was feeling. His mother though, didn’t instill a fear of dogs in him by freaking out every time he was near one after. It IS possible to discuss feelings and explain that it’s not this child’s fault, without scarring him/her for life.
I realize that a dog bite, and being sexually assaulted are two VERY different things, and I’m not trying to say they are on the same level at all. It was just an example I thought of, to try and get what I was saying across.
You are right about the adults in this child’s life handling this in a calm manner. When I was approximately 4, a neighbor grabbed my hand and put it into his pants. I told my Mom and she told me that he was a nasty man for doing that but, it was not my fault. She then proceeded to inform that man that if he ever came near her daughter again, she would risk going to jail because, he would probably be dead. She made sure I didn’t go near that house again and she let me ask questions about the event but, never made me feel that I was wrong for having that happen to me.
I agree! You should never not talk about the abuse or ignore it. You are headed to bigger problems in the long run. I have a few people that are close to me that are survivors and they were brought up “not talking about it” and they suffered with drug and alcohol abuse and were overly sexually active. They attribute their actions to not talking about what happened to them from those that love and care for them.
or block it.
I also remember things that happened when I was that age!—Some things are never forgotten.
Doesn’t matter, jemileesmom, because kids in Maine don’t matter. Look at how many of these crimes end w/the perpetrator getting a slap on the wrist type of sentence…while the child suffers for an entire lifetime.
We don’t value children in Maine and judges prove that over and over.
Sick, sick sick!!!! How does one become a pervert?
There are so many of them now, they must learn from each other!–I know the perfect place for all of them, but I’m sure it would be illegal!
Hell is illegal?
What I had in mind, Kelly, would make hell seem like a summer picnic!!
They say it is genetics…
If that’s the case, we should be even *more* for the death penalty for scum like this guy.
only in the state of maine he will get off with a slap on the wrist !!how can u do such a thing,people here are not normal!!
Does the child’s mother have ANY responsibility in the matter? Was she a girlfriend, friend, or live-in girlfriend?
It would seem that at some point in time, Mr. Withee was alone with the 3-year old. Apparently, she did not know him very well. I don’t think she exercised very good judgement…and the child suffered for it.
The majority of molested children are perpetrated by family members,
close relatives or people who have close proximity to them. Most of
these people are called incest perpetrators because they’re family
members to the children. What’s been found for these individuals who get
reported (incest perpetrators), is that they are likely to have more
than one victim, and usually only abuse within their family.
I wonder if she she knew he was charged once before ? That is grounds for negligence on her part as for as I’m concerned.
This is sad and scarey. Sad because this is a three year old child (or any under age child for that matter). Scarey because at age 32 this type of behavior didn’t happen overnight. Could there be more victims?
It appears there are more victim(s), and somehow a jury of his peers let him go in 2005 to do this again. Incompetent prosecution, or a very good defense lawyer. Imagine how that victim now feels. I bet she (or he) is reliving this all over.
I know the person. the only reason he got away with it the first time is the little girl didn’t want to say what he did in front of him. she was scared
A 44 magnum is a lot cheaper than housing this worthless ripper for X amount of time. Just saying… Also love how they say not seriously injured… wtf? really?
Not to mention the gun itself is a one time cost and bullets are a dime a dozen.
Death wouldn’t be a good enough punishment. He needs to live with this for the rest of his life… WITH a tattoo on his face saying “pedophile” (JUST for starters)
Many people have comments on this subject. I.E the Perp will get a slap on the wrist etc etc. How about advocate for tougher laws. I.E chemical castration, life in prison etc. You can get life for murder and in my opinion when someone does this to a child it is murder! It kills a child’s innocence! This is an epidemic that once someone commits such a horrible crime they will never a human again, therefore never let them be human again. They are monsters undeserving of a life! Be proactive advocate for mandatory sentences for such a crime against the innocent!
Or like George Carlin suggested ship them all (rapist and child molesters) to a deserted Island and let them victimize each other. After all the is the most human thing to do right!
A three-year-old child was “sexually assaulted” but “was not seriously injured”???? How much more serious can you get???
For consistency, serious injury is normally defined as “a personal injury which results in death;
dismemberment; significant disfigurement; a fracture; loss of a fetus;
permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system;
permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member;
significant limitation of use of a body function or system; or a
medically determined injury or impairment of a non-permanent nature
which prevents the injured person from performing substantially all of
the material acts which constitute such person’s usual and customary
daily activities for not less than ninety days during the one hundred
eighty days immediately following the occurrence of the injury or
impairment.” – Hyacinthe v. United States, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108192
(E.D.N.Y. Nov. 19, 2009)
It seems that everytime you look at the news – whether online, tv or print, there are so many sexual abuse cases of children. What has happened to our society? Is it that us (as a whole) stand up more and report these cases or is there something gone awry with our parenting? I guess we could go over hundreds of excuses/reasons and not find a real answer or solution. I think that the state governments need to inflict higher and stiffer sentences of offenders. But, then our tax money goes to supporting these “humans” in prisons. Castration would be the best punishment in my eyes.
I am disturbed by so much that is said when it comes to kids being sexually assaulted.. I was raped as a child at age 7 multiple times by a 15 foster boy who was placed in our home by the state (Knowing he had a history of this behavior, but didn’t tell my parents). I did not tell because I was told not to , and was scared.. But even as I got older and actually understood more of what had happened to me, I still did not completely blame the boy who had done this to me.. I knew he was in my home for a reason.. HIS home was not a good place.. as I grew up I researched this. The percentage of those who do these kind of acts were molested themselves. Does this mean it’s OK? NO!!! But the idea of saying they are all the same , and killing them for it makes me sick!.. SOME can be rehabilitated.. and then there are those that even I would not have a issue of leaving on a deserted island to suffer … If we go with the theory they are all the same , and that it is “The worst thing that can ever happen to a child” (murders a child’s soul), then we might as well kill the child when it first happens so that they don’t go one to become perpetrators.. ! Although it devastated so much of my life and dealing with it alone in my head for yrs led me to make poor choices in relationships, and to have eating disorders and the like.. I can still think of things that would have been even worse.. It was NOT the end of my life, it was NOT the murder of my soul, it was not a lot of things.. But what it WAS, was a bad thing that happened in my life, that I lived through and yrs later learned to deal with , and is what led me to teach my children how to keep themselves as safe as possible.. and to teach them to always talk with me.. Instead of putting everyone into the same box, first , when a child is known to have been molested, make sure they are allowed to talk,, it will keep them from having as many issues growing up.. and when they are allowed to be educated it will cut down on the number that go on to do this to others.. The ones who can show remorse , are able to be helped.. Educating our children and talking openly about sex and when it is OK to be touched, and by who.. ……… I loved the comments that jemileesmom made and the example of the dog bite was a good one.. But the person who is thinking the Mom should have the blame as well is completely off mark.. Unless the mom KNEW what was happening and either helped or allowed, then she is not at fault .. We cannot go around assuming everyone is a bad person.. what we need to do is always watch for the signs, observe how people interact with our kids, show up unannounced at sitters or sleep overs, and ALWAYS communicate with our kids..
It is times like this that the death penalty would come in handy. But castration would also be good. He is a sick pig and who in the hell in their right mind would leave their 3 yr old baby with someone with a history of this??????
I hope it’s true about what they say happens to child molesters in prison, because I have a feeling that’s where he’s headed this time.
How about some charges and education for the childs mother? Why was this animal even NEAR this child after his previous history???
This guy doesn’t even deserve to walk over the threshold of a jail cell. I hope he gets what he deserves.
They probably define serious injury as “a personal injury which results in death;
dismemberment; significant disfigurement; a fracture; loss of a fetus;
permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system;
permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member;
significant limitation of use of a body function or system; or a
medically determined injury or impairment of a non-permanent nature
which prevents the injured person from performing substantially all of
the material acts which constitute such person’s usual and customary
daily activities for not less than ninety days during the one hundred
eighty days immediately following the occurrence of the injury or
impairment.” Hyacinthe v. United States, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 108192
(E.D.N.Y. Nov. 19, 2009)
Kill Him.
she’s a baby she will have to live with longer than he will .i do
I am unable to fully explain what I believe should be done to “people” like that because I would be banned from here and my comment would be deleted before anyone was able to read it. “Not seriously injured” is a lie. That poor girl will be scarred for life. Public humiliation at least is in order for this monster. Tattoo the word “pedophile” onto his face!
I know the person. i also know the other little girl it happened to. the only reason he got off the first time was the little girl felt scared that would have a to face him in court. Also he is known in the rockland area the women should have known better. but just maybe he will get his time… i think it is awful that another child has to go though this crap because of this person