If you or someone you know needs resources or support related to sexual violence, contact the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s 24/7 hotline at 800-871-7741.
A man was sentenced to five years in prison with all but two years suspended for abusing a disabled adult at a Hampden care home.
Rene Dubois III, 47, of Prospect, pleaded guilty to one felony charge of intentionally endangering the welfare of a dependent person on Thursday in Penobscot County Superior Court. Two other counts of the same charge were dismissed.
Dubois abused two non-verbal disabled adults from January 2019 to January 2022 while he worked at Lee Residential Care in Hampden, according to court records. Three other men also allegedly participated in the abuse, and Dubois is the second one to be sentenced to prison.
Dubois will serve two years of probation after he’s released from prison.
Zachary Conners, 26, was sentenced to five years in prison with all but 2 ½ years suspended after he pled guilty to one felony count of intentionally endangering the welfare of a dependent person on Aug. 30. Charges are pending against Michael Slater, 49, of Palmyra, who is charged with four counts of intentionally endangering the welfare of a dependent person. Joshua Martin, 43, of Winterport, is charged with one count each of endangering the welfare of a dependent person and assault.
Part of Dubois’ probation includes the requirement to “cooperate and testify truthfully regarding all conduct at Lee Residential Center,” as well as not being allowed to provide health care services for compensation, according to court records.
One non-verbal man with severe intellectual disabilities was the primary victim of the “horrific treatment” at Lee Residential Care, while a second man with similar disabilities was also abused, the Maine attorneys general’s office said in a court filing.
Dubois and Conners would cover the man’s face with a cloth and then spray water on him, leaving him unable to breathe, detectives with the Hampden Police Department and the Healthcare Crimes Unit at the Maine AG’s office found. The resident became afraid of the sprayer, another employee told investigators.
Another form of abuse included choking the resident until he passed out and one time appeared to have a seizure. Conners and Dubois did not call for medical assistance, according to court records. This abuse was referred to as the “reset button.”
Conners and the three other employees would encourage residents to engage in sexual acts with each other with the promise of pizza after, which they did not get, court records said.
Conners and Dubois allegedly sodomized the resident and would repeatedly hit the resident with a large serving spoon on the back of his head and neck. They also would also repeatedly punch the resident in his genitals, court records said.
