SKOWHEGAN — A 19-year-old Bingham man was sentenced to 24 years in prison Thursday for sexually assaulting a child under age 10.
Justin T. Harris pleaded guilty to three counts of gross sexual assault before Justice Robert Mullen in Somerset County Superior Court.
The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office received a referral from the Department of Health and Human Services on March 26, 2024, regarding the reported sexual assault.
Detective Jeremy Leal was assigned to investigate the case.
Over the following day, Leal conducted interviews and gathered information from the Department of Health and Human Services with assistance from the Children’s Advocacy Center for Kennebec and Somerset Counties.
Harris was arrested March 27, 2024, and charged with five counts of gross sexual assault.
He was transported to Somerset County Jail where a bail commissioner set bail at $100,000 cash with conditions including no contact with the victim or victim’s family, no contact with anyone under 18, and not to return to the victim’s residence.
Harris made his first court appearance March 29, 2024, where his bail was reduced to $50,000 cash with the same conditions.
He remained incarcerated at Somerset County Jail.
In addition to the 24-year prison sentence, Harris will serve 15 years of supervised release.
Special conditions of his supervised release include no use or possession of alcohol, illegal drugs or sexually oriented material, no contact with children under 18, no contact with the victim, completion of a sex offender program, and compliance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act as a lifetime registrant.
