FARMINGTON — An Auburn man pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of unlawful sexual contact against two girls under age 18 in Franklin and Oxford counties.
Richard Hunt Franklin County Detention Center photo
Judge Brent Davis sentenced Richard R. Hunt, 24, to serve two years of a five-year sentence, followed by three years of probation on each of the charges. The sentences will run concurrently.
A Franklin County grand jury indicted Hunt on Friday on felony charges of gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact, and a misdemeanor charge of violation of condition of release.
In a plea agreement, the state dismissed the gross sexual assault and violation of release charges.
The Oxford County case is from March 2015 in the Paris area. Hunt had pleaded guilty to an unlawful sexual contact charge at the time. He was serving a 45-month sentence for violating conditions of his release and was released last year. He then started a delayed sentencing agreement in the Oxford County case when he was arrested by Jay police in November 2018. The agreement was terminated Wednesday.
If the Jay case had gone to trial, testimony would have been heard that the victim had stayed over at a friend’s house in Jay, Deputy District Attorney James Andrews said in Franklin County Superior Court. The friend, the victim and Hunt shared a bed. The girl would testify that Hunt touched her groin area more than once, he said. She went home and told her mother.
Jay Sgt. Russell Adams responded to the report, but Hunt had left the residence when Adams arrived.
Adams would have testified that Hunt denied any contact with the girl. Adams would also testify that he took DNA from Hunt’s hand which matched the girl’s, Andrews said.
Hunt accepted responsibility and chose not to put the victim through a trial, the judge said.
Hunt will have to undergo sex offender counseling to the satisfaction of his probation officer and will have to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. A condition of his probation is to have no contact with girls under age 16 with the exception of family with adult supervision.
Davis warned Hunt that if he violated probation he most certainly would serve the three remaining years of his sentence.
A conviction of unlawful sexual contact is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
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