ROCKLAND, Maine — A 27-year-old Edgecomb man was sentenced last week to seven days in jail after the state agreed to drop sex offense charges in exchange for a guilty plea to assault.
William Speed was sentenced May 22 by Justice Daniel Billings to a single count of assault. The sentence culminated a deferred disposition reached between the state and defense in November 2013.
Speed originally had been charged with five counts of sexual abuse of a minor. Those charges were dismissed in exchange for his pleading guilty to assault. Speed was 25 years old and the victim was 15 years old when the incidents occurred in 2013 in Rockland.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Fernald said the victim did not want Speed to be punished. The prosecutor said the deferred disposition required Speed to get counseling, including sex offender counseling.
The age of consent for sex in Maine, in most cases, is 16-years-old.
To reach a sexual assault advocate, call the Statewide Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Line at 800-871-7741, TTY 888-458-5599. This free and confidential 24-hour service is accessible from anywhere in Maine. Calls are automatically routed to the closest sexual violence service provider.