If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the Maine Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-866-834-HELP (4357) or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
A Bath man has been sentenced to 25 years incarceration at West Bath District Court on Tuesday stemming from a 2019 burglary and assault case.
Corey Ater, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of gross sexual assault — a Class A felony — criminal restraint, burglary and violating conditions of release. According to a press release from District Attorney Natasha Irving, Ater also agreed to a sentence of between 15 and 25 years and a fully suspended 10-year sentence to run consecutively with four years of probation on one count of domestic violence aggravated assault, a Class B felony.
Ater was sentenced to 364 days incarceration for the criminal restraint conviction, 10 years for burglary and five years for violating the conditions of his release, which will run consecutively with the sentence for the gross sexual assault conviction.
The convictions stem from events on April 2, 2019, in which Ater, broke into a home he shared with his former wife and child around 2 a.m. Ater then woke the woman, threatening her with a kitchen knife and for the next 16-18 hours, he beat, tortured and raped her multiple times in various locations, according to the press release.
The woman later escaped to a neighbor’s house who called 911. She was taken to Maine Medical Center and treated for a broken nose and significant bruising around her eyes. She also had multiple bruises, cuts and scrapes, on her body.
Ater was arrested by the Sagadahoc County Sherriff Department on April 2, 2019, and taken to Two Bridges Regional Jail. While on bail, Ater began communicating with his wife through a mutual friend —violating conditions of his release — and pressured her not to cooperate with authorities.
During sentencing, Justice Billings noted that this case was the longest he had ever sentenced a defendant for a non-homicide conviction, Irving stated.
“This sentence is a testament to her incredible bravery and the support she received from New Hope for Women, her loving family, the professionalism of the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department, and the dedication, hard work and expertise of my team in the District Attorney’s office. Tragically, this sentence is also a testament to the unfathomable brutality of the crime itself,” Irving stated.
“If you or a loved one are the victim of domestic violence, please come forward, please find strength in her bravery, and know that we will fight for you.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
