ROCKLAND, Maine — A 61-year-old former Knox County Jail guard, who was awaiting trial for allegedly sexually assaulting female inmates, is behind bars again after being charged with threatening to shoot his wife.
Richard S. Wellington was arrested Thursday night and charged by Thomaston police with domestic violence terrorizing and violating a condition of release.
An affidavit filed by Thomaston police in Rockland District Court states that the alleged victim called police when she was at Wal-Mart to report that she had received a telephone call from Wellington in which he said he would shoot her with a .45 automatic gun. She said he then later said that instead he would shoot himself with the gun.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Thomaston police went to Warren and questioned Wellington who acknowledged he had threatened to shoot himself but denied threatening to shoot his wife. He was arrested and taken to the Knox County Jail.
Police searched the Warren residence but found no weapons.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Fernald filed a motion Friday to revoke Wellington’s pre-trial bail, citing the new alleged criminal conduct.
Judge Susan Sparaco ordered Wellington held without bail until a hearing is held Sept. 22 on the motion to revoke his pre-conviction bail.
Wellington was indicted in April on two counts of unlawful sexual contact and 17 counts of unlawful sexual touching. The indictments list three different victims — with the assaults beginning in November 2012 and ending in August 2013.
Wellington was hired as a part-time corrections officer in April 2012 and was terminated in August 2013. He had previously worked at the Maine State Prison.
An affidavit filed last October when Wellington was initially charged with sexually assaulting one inmate, stated he provided the woman with candy bars in exchange for her showing him her breasts and allowing him to touch them. The woman said she received candy bars on a daily basis from Wellington, when he worked, and she estimated he touched her exposed breasts up to 100 times from April through the beginning of August, according to the affidavit.
The incidents would occur in the laundry room and in a couple of cells, according to the affidavit.
The inmate also said that on one occasion, Wellington touched her genitalia.
Wellington has denied the allegations.