FARMINGTON —  A Phillips man accused of sexually assaulting a child under age 12 had his bail set at $75,000 cash or $150,000 worth of real estate Wednesday in 12th District Court.

Robert Parker Jr., 43, is also accused of threatening to kill the child and harassing family members by sending texts with explicit descriptions of what he would do to the child.

Parker appeared in court on two felony counts of gross sexual assault and misdemeanor charges of terrorizing and violation of condition of release. The sex charges pertain to incidents on July 19 and Sept. 20, according to Judge Susan Oram who read the charges to Parker.

Parker denied the sex assault charges to Deputy Kevin Hartley, according to a police affidavit filed with the court.

Parker also appeared on other charges of felony tampering with a witness or informant, and misdemeanor charges of harassment by telephone or electronic communication device. All are related to the same victim and family.

Parker pleaded not guilty to two counts of endangering the welfare of children involving the child in the sex case on Sept. 23 in 12th District Court. He is accused of giving cigarettes to two children under age 15. He was bailed on a pretrial contract on Sept. 25. He was arrested on the charges Sept. 22.

He was arrested by Lewiston police Friday on a warrant on the new charges of tampering, harassment and violation of release. When he was taken to the Franklin County jail in Farmington on Tuesday, Hartley arrested him on one sexual assault charge and a terrorizing charge, Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said Wednesday morning.

Parker was not allowed to enter pleas on the new charges due to the felonies.

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Robbins asked the court to set bail at $100,000 cash or $500,000 in real estate on the sexual assault charges.

He also asked that Parker have no contact with children under age 16 and be banned from having pornographic material.

Defense attorney Margot Joly said Parker asked for personal recognizance bail on all charges and have him released to his mother, who lives in Lewiston. 

Parker told the judge that if he goes to jail he cannot have his anxiety medicine, which he’s been without for about two weeks. He requested to be released so he could meet with his mother’s landlord and be added to her lease. He also has another appointment, he said, that he cannot miss.

Robbins said that a personal recognizance bail is inappropriate.

Oram agreed. She set bail on the sex charges at $75,000 cash or $150,000 worth of real estate.

The judge set bail at $5,000 cash to run concurrent with the sexual assault bail on the tampering, harassment and violation of release charges.

She also set $20,000 cash bail on the endangering the welfare of children charges to run concurrent with the assault bail. 

Oram also prohibited contact with the victims and family members.

Joly had been appointed to defend Parker in the initial charges but has withdrawn. Woody Hanstein has agreed to take Parker’s cases, Joly said.

Joly preserved the right for Hanstein to re-argue bail.

The state had filed a motion Sept. 23 to revoke a deferred disposition agreement on an unrelated terrorizing charge. A hearing on the motion will be held Nov. 25.

A conviction on the sexual assault charge carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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