CLEARFIELD – A Penfield man was sentenced to 15-60 years in state prison for molesting three 7-year-old girls.
According to a release from the state police in DuBois, Lewis Cecil Maines Jr. was determined to be a sexually violent predator after a sexual assessment hearing on Dec. 10.
Maines was found guilty on Sept. 1 of two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, one count of aggravated indecent assault and one count of indecent assault.
According to a prior Gant story, three girls testified that Maines touched their vaginas or vaginal areas. Two of the girls said that he used a vibrating sex aid. The youngest girl, who was roughly 7 or 8 years-old at the time of the incident, sketched a picture of the object she said Maines used on her. She also testified that Maines touched her chest.
Two of the girls were revealed to be special needs children.
The investigation into the sexual abuse came to light when a guidance counselor was asked to talk to one of the victims. She said the girl told her that Maines pulled down her pants and touched her “in the front.”
That counselor then contacted Childline. From there, Children, Youth and Family Services became involved. They found the allegations to have merit and the case was turned over to police.
Maines took the stand in his defense prior to the lunch break and denied touching the girls inappropriately. When asked if he touched the one girl’s chest, Maines replied, “As far as I know I didn’t.”
Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. asked Maines what he meant by that. Maines said that he knew that he didn’t touch her chest. He said he might have when she had a cold once to check her heartbeat.
Following the verdict Shaw argued Maines’ bail be revoked. Maines’ attorney, William Kerr, stated that Maines was on SSI, didn’t have a driver’s license and had close ties to the community.
The Honorable Paul E. Cherry revoked his bail and ordered that Maines be placed in Clearfield County Jail until the time of his sentencing.
Maines was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Paul E. Cherry to 5-20 years in state prison for each felony count, for a total of 15-60 years.
