PENOBSCOT, Maine — The chief of the local fire department is facing charges he engaged in illegal sexual behavior, according to documents filed in Hancock County Unified Criminal Court in Ellsworth.
Dennis B. Robertson, 62, is facing two charges of unlawful sexual touching and two charges of unlawful sexual contact, the documents indicate. The incidents are alleged to have occurred in Sedgwick on Aug. 2, 2013, and Sept. 6, 2014. Information about the age of the victim was not included in the case file.
Robertson has not been arrested but was summoned on the charges, according to law enforcement and jail officials. Court documents indicate Robertson is not expected to appear in court until sometime after March 20 while his defense attorney, Anthony Beardsley of Ellsworth, and the Hancock County District Attorney’s office discuss a possible resolution to the case.
Efforts to contact Robertson on Wednesday were unsuccessful. Robertson and his wife own Eggemoggin Country Store in the neighboring town of Sedgwick.
Contacted Wednesday at his office, Beardsley declined to comment on the matter.
Paul Bowen, a Penobscot selectman, said Wednesday the charges have not affected Robertson’s status as the town’s fire chief.
He said the Robertsons currently are out of town on vacation, which is something they do every year. Assistant Fire Chief Lin Parker is serving as chief in Robertson’s absence, he added.
“Everybody is due their day in court,” Bowen said.
The selectman added that people often draw their own conclusions from media reports, before cases are adjudicated, and that those conclusions frequently differ from how the cases are resolved in the courtroom.
“I expect he’ll be fully exonerated,” he said. “I believe the accusations are false.”
