PORTLAND, Maine (WGAN) A former Wells man has been sentenced to life in prison on child sex abuse charges.
United States Attorney Halsey Frank announced the sentence for 52-year-old William Gaudet Tuesday.
According to court records and trial evidence, Gaudet on two occasions during the summer of 2010 traveled between Maine and Pennsylvania with an eight-year-old child intending to engage in sexual activity with her. On both occasions, he sexually assaulted the child, according to court documents.
The investigation into Gaudet began in 2014 after the child reported the abuse. Gaudet had been convicted in 2012 in New Hampshire Superior Court for sexually assaulting another minor in 2001 and 2005.
Gaudet was convicted of transporting a minor interstate intending to engage in criminal sexual activity and traveling interstate with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct in November 2017, following a four-day jury trial.
U.S. District Court Judge George Singal ordered the life sentence run consecutive to the sentence in the New Hampshire case. Under federal law, Gaudet will not be eligible for parole.
