BELFAST, Maine — A Jackson man will spend the next 18 years in prison for raping a young female relative repeatedly over a two-year span.
Paul Andrews, 34, pleaded guilty to four of 14 counts of gross sexual assault that police had filed against him. He was arrested in late December 2016.
Assistant Attorney General Bill Entwistle said that Andrews “preyed upon” the girl “innumerable times” starting when she was 5 years old and continuing for two years until his arrest.
Andrews faces additional misdemeanor charges for allegedly attacking another inmate at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset in early March. Jail officials said Andrews “blindsided” Julio Carrillo, who is accused in the beating death of 10-year-old Marissa Kennedy, his stepdaughter. Those Class D charges, assault and criminal threatening, haven’t yet been addressed in court.
Waldo County Superior Court Justice Robert Murray sentenced Andrews on Monday in a Belfast courtroom. Prosecutors had asked for a 28-year sentence, while Andrews’ defense attorney requested 10-15.
Entwistle said the age of the victim and the fact that Andrews assaulted her “every other day” for two years warranted a lengthy sentence. Andrews was also allegedly abusing alcohol during much of the time he committed the assaults, and allegedly threatened to hurt the girl further if she told anyone about the abuse.
Andrews’ defense attorney argued that several mitigating factors should be taken into consideration. One was Andrews’ decision to plead guilty, preventing a trial that could have forced the young girl to testify. Another was Andrews’ history as a victim of childhood sexual abuse.
During sentencing, Diane Tennies, a forensic psychologist who evaluated Andrews, testified that Andrews had described a second “persona” named Saul, who was “domineering, mean and self-gratifying.” Andrews said he was able to control “Saul,” but heavy alcohol use made it more difficult.
“I accept the responsibility that I’ve done things I wasn’t supposed to do,” Andrews told the judge
After completing his sentence, Andrews will spend 25 years under supervised release and court monitoring. He’ll be included on Maine’s sex offender registry for the rest of his life, and can’t have contact with anyone younger than 12 or immediate family members.
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 support service provider.
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