Former priest convicted of sexual abuse in Massachusetts pleads not guilty to new charges in Maine
James Talbot's attorney says the charges are a surprise.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A former Jesuit priest and Maine high school teacher has pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually abused a 9-year-old boy at a Freeport church nearly 20 years ago.
The Portland Press Herald reports a court on Friday set bail at $50,000 for 80-year-old James Francis Talbot on Friday.
Talbot faces one count of gross sexual assault and one count of unlawful sexual contact. He could face as many as 25 years in prison if convicted.
The charges involve a victim whose family were members of St. Jude Church in the 1990s.
Talbot has spent six years in prison for a sexual abuse conviction in Massachusetts.
Talbot’s attorney told The Associated Press that the charges were a surprise and that the case won’t be ready for trial for months.
