01/14/2022 - Woman guilty of Gross Sexual Assault of child

On Friday afternoon, following two days of testimony by Rumford Police detectives and other witnesses, an Oxford County Superior Court Judge in South Paris found Bethany Ringuette guilty of Gross Sexual Assault of an 8-year old girl in Rumford in 2019. The conviction is a Class A felony crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. The Court further found Ringuette not guilty of a related charge of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor due to there being insufficient evidence to convict on that count.

The evidence in the case revealed that the victim had been assaulted on more than one occasion in early 2019 at an apartment in Rumford by Ringette and her boyfriend, Travis Walker, 31 of Bethel who was convicted last year in Oxford County Superior Court and is now serving his non-suspended portion of a 13-year prison sentence for his involvement in the crime. (click here for sentencing info and photo)

“I am very pleased with the outcome of this particular trial. When kids fall victim to this kind of predatory perversion, it breaks our hearts. We turn that feeling into professional motivation to do the very best investigation we can, in cooperation with the District Attorney’s Office to gather the evidence needed to hold these two accountable for their unthinkable actions. I am proud of the bravery of the victim and of the officers and other witnesses in the case who testified, as well as the prosecutor who handled the case to bring justice for the victim.” said Chief Milligan.

Ringette is expected to be sentenced for her crime next month in South Paris.

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