FARMINGTON — A Franklin County grand jury indicted a Lovell man Monday on 36 sex charges involving three boys under age 15

Jonathan M. Clark, 28, formerly of Chesterville, was indicted on 29 felony counts of gross sexual assault, four felony counts of unlawful sexual contact and one each of felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, dissemination of sexually explicit material and sexual abuse of a minor.

The bulk of the sexual assault charges involved one of the boys.

Clark has been held in jail on $200,000 cash bail with no surety since his arrest in April.

The incidents occurred between January 2012 and March 2014 in Chesterville, Wilton and Farmington, according to the indictment.

A conviction for gross sexual assault is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Maine State Police Detective Herbert Leighton of the Major Crimes Unit said in an  affidavit filed with the court in April that search warrants were conducted at homes in Chesterville and Lovell.

According to Leighton’s affidavit, a Maine Department of Health and Human Services representative and a representative of The Children’s Advocacy Center interviewed the victims separately.

Hebert and Detective Ethel Ross interviewed Clark in April at the Franklin County jail in Farmington. During the interview, Clark said he engaged in a sex act with one of the boys on about 20 to 30 separate occasions for two years and another sex act with the same boy once a week for two years, the affidavit states.

Clark also said he engaged in a sex act with a second boy a number of times for one or two years. He also committed a sex act with a third boy March 14, the affidavit states.

Assistant District Attorney James Andrews said in April during a bail hearing that Clark has no criminal record, as far as he knows.

Should Clark make bail and be released, he is forbidden to have contact with the boys and children younger than 16, among other conditions.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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