By Christopher Williams,Staff Writer

AUBURN – A 54-year-old Lewiston man who lured kids to his home with the promise of a pool, toys and booze, and then sexually abused them, received a 30-year prison sentence Friday.

With time off for good behavior, he could be out in 21 years, said Androscoggin County Superior Court Justice Ellen Gorman.

She said Raymond Samson preyed on vulnerable boys who thought he was a friend. He got them to satisfy his sexual appetite “through bribes, alcohol and brainwashing.”

Gorman said a doctor who reviewed Samson’s case wrote that he probably suffered from a personality disorder, and the likelihood he would reoffend was “high.”

More alarming, she said, was the fact that Samson has shown no remorse and appeared to take no responsibility for his actions.

Samson was convicted by a jury in January on 18 counts, 16 of them sex-related charges involving six children.

Prosecutor Deborah Cashman had asked for 30 years.

“He’s certainly one of the worst that I’ve had to deal with in terms of the number of victims,” she said after the hearing. “I still believe there are more victims out there.”

Samson’s lawyer, Leonard Sharon, said his client should not have to serve more than 20 years. But he wasn’t surprised by the sentence.

“The weight of the evidence and the number of counts predicted that Justice Gorman would give him a heavy sentence,” he said. Yet, Sharon called the sentence “Draconian,” given “the nature of the crime.”

He said Samson never spoke at his trial or sentencing because he is hoping for a new trial. Sharon promised to appeal both the conviction and the sentence. He said police gathered evidence not covered by the search warrant. That evidence convicted his client, he said.

Samson’s six victims and their families attended the hearing. Some of them spoke, choking back tears while scolding the pedophile for his behavior.

He sat expressionless in a dark-blue jail shirt as the mother of two boys, followed by a teenage victim, told the court about the lives Samson destroyed.

Reading a statement, the mother told how Samson had offered to help mow the lawn, plow the driveway and do home repairs. He baby-sat at his home but refused money.

“I should’ve known better,” she said.

Her sons became angry and violent. Once good students, they began failing classes. Her older son started cutting himself. Both were hospitalized twice and sent to therapists.

“I thought I was a bad mother and was going to lose my babies,” she said.

She finally sent them out of state, she said tearfully.

“My family has endured so much pain just because someone was so selfish and only cared about his own wants and desires,” she shouted, looking directly at Samson.

He stared back.

“You don’t have to leave a mark to hurt a child,” she said. She asked Gorman to give Samson the maximum sentence allowed. “Please stop him from destroying any other innocent children,” she said.

A boy who had spent months at Samson’s home said he and his family hoped the pedophile would spend the rest of his life in prison. “Have a nice day,” the boy said.

If he were to serve his full sentence, Samson would be 84 years old when released from prison.

After getting out, he will be on probation for six years. During that time, he will be barred from having contact with anyone younger than 18.