PARIS — A West Paris man was sentenced Friday in Oxford County Superior Court to 10 years in prison, with all but two years suspended, on a felony sex assault charge.
John Emery, 71, was arrested in May 2016 and charged with gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact against a child under the age of 14.
In October 2016, Emery pleaded not guilty to the 18 charges, which ranged from Class A gross sexual assault to Class C sexual misconduct with a child under 12 years old.
However, the plea agreement called for Emery to be convicted on a single count of Class A gross sexual assault, and to serve 10 years in prison, with all but two years suspended.
Emery will also serve four years of probation following his release, with the conditions that he have no contact with the victim or with any female children under the age of 12.
According to court records, the initial complaint was reported to the Department of Health and Human Services on April 28; an investigation was launched by the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office the same day.
According to Detective Joshua Wyman, the day after the complaint was made to DHHS, the child was interviewed in Lewiston and said Emery had committed the assaults for years, perhaps since the child was 3 years old.
According to Wyman’s affidavit, after each assault Emery would “go to his gun cabinet or make a threat that he was going to his gun cabinet and grab a gun and make threats to harm himself,” according to the victim’s description.
John Emery, right, listens during his initial appearance in a Paris court in May 2016 on felony sex assault charges, while his former attorney Jeff Wilson listens. Emery pleaded no contest Friday to a single count of gross sexual assault against a child under the age of 14 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but two years suspended.
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