ROCKLAND, Maine — A Cushing man was sentenced Thursday to four days in jail for contact with a 6-year-old girl.
Timothy Sanford, 51, pleaded guilty in Knox County Unified Court to domestic violence assault. A charge of unlawful sexual contact was dismissed in exchange for his plea. Sanford agreed to what is known as an Alford plea, which means he did not admit to committing a crime but agreed that the state had enough evidence to convict him.
He was sentenced to 364 days in jail with all but four days suspended. He also was placed on probation for one year.
Sanford was arrested in May 2015 on the unlawful sexual contact charge. An affidavit filed by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office stated that an investigation into Sanford’s behavior began in late March 2015, after a pediatrician contacted the child protection division of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. A 6-year-old girl allegedly told the doctor that Sanford had played a “tickle” game with her and that she did not like it, according to the affidavit.
Sanford denied the sexual assault allegation and agreed to take a polygraph test. One administered by the sheriff’s office proved inconclusive, according to the affidavit.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Fernald said Thursday that the mother of the alleged victim supported the agreement reached in court.