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A former University of Maine student charged with cruelty to animals and criminal trespass at Witter Farm pleaded not guilty Friday in 3rd District Court in Bangor. William Diemer, 20, of Old Town, was summonsed by Public Safety after he was allegedly caught sexually assaulting a mare at the farm on Sept. 20. Diemer, formerly of Brunswick, initially fled the scene and later was identified through evidence from video surveillance cameras, Public Safety Chief Noel March said in September.
The trespass charge is a Class E crime punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A class D crime, the cruelty to animals charge is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
The Sept. 20 incident marked the third time within the past 15 months in which a horse at the research barn was sexually assaulted. A mare was assaulted on Aug. 5, 2002, and an older mare was similarly attacked in May 2003. In both cases, the animals sustained internal injuries and bleeding that required medical attention, March said in September. Charges have not been filed in either case, but police are working to determine whether the incidents are related, March said.
The horse involved in the Sept. 20 incident did not require medical treatment. A different horse was involved in all three attacks.
A dozen closed-circuit digital surveillance cameras were installed at the farm following the May assault, costing the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture approximately $12,000. Additional safety precautions include nighttime barn checks performed by at least two staff members with handheld radios, as well as the installation of a $15,000 electric fence around the farm’s outdoor property. Public Safety officers, security guards and community service students also perform daily checks at the facility.
A third-year UMaine student at the time of the incident, Diemer has been released on personal recognizance and is prohibited from entering campus property, according to court documents. He is scheduled to appear in district court on Dec. 31.
Staff writer Angela Fiandaca contributed to this article.
