FORT KENT, Maine — A judge ordered a Van Buren man charged with gross sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a child under the age of 12 to remain jailed Friday until he can post bail of $100,000 worth of real estate or $50,000 cash.
Michael C. Doucette, 30, who also is known as Michael Hoague, has been accused of sexually assaulting a child sometime between Dec. 1, 2015, and May 22, 2016, in Van Buren, according to the complaint filed against him. He also has been accused of exploiting the child who was photographed while being sexually assaulted.
Doucette made his initial appearance before Fort Kent District Court Judge David Soucy via video from the Aroostook County jail in Houlton on Friday.
No further details about the case were revealed during Friday’s hearing, and an affidavit was impounded while police continue their investigation.
Assistant District Attorney James Mitchell said police have not yet spoken with two other children living in the same home as the victim listed in the complaint and further charges are possible.
The gross sexual assault charge is a Class A felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. The exploitation charge is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years.
When asked by Soucy if he understood the charges against him, Doucette replied, “That’s a bunch of [expletive], but yeah.”
The Van Buren Police Department reached out to the public for help in locating Doucette with a post on the department’s Facebook page on Tuesday.
A Maine State Police trooper arrested him without incident Wednesday night in Rumford, some 220 miles away from Van Buren. Doucette was taken on Thursday to the Aroostook County Jail, where he remained Friday evening.
During the Friday morning court hearing, Mitchell requested the $100,000 surety or $50,000 cash bail. He argued that when a police officer initially contacted Doucette in Van Buren via telephone to discuss the case, Doucette refused and soon after left the area.
“It’s my understanding he was headed to New Hampshire or Vermont where a family relative lives,” Mitchell said.
Jeffrey Pickering, the attorney assigned to assist Doucette during Friday’s hearing, argued for $40,000 surety bail with GPS monitoring.
“It shouldn’t be held against someone if [a person] chooses not to help police put their case together,” Pickering said.
He noted that any attorney would advise the client not to speak to police in that situation.
Soucy went with the higher bail and approved Doucette’s request to be granted a court appointed attorney, who would be selected later.
The judge set Doucette’s next hearing for Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the Madawaska District Court.