PARIS – Convicted sex offender Randall Gross violated conditions of his parole last August.

Again.

This was the fourth time since the 23-year-old former Lewiston man received a five-year sentence for unlawful sexual contact in June of 2001.

But this time there will be no parole.

Judge Ellen A. Gorman sent Gross to prison for the remainder of the time of his initial offense, 2 years and 194 days, Thursday at Oxford County Superior Court.

She heeded Edward Rabasco’s plea to send his client to Windham where he would have a chance to get counseling for his behavior.

She recommended that he be placed in a sex offender treatment program, but that’s not guaranteed.

Rabasco said it would be at least 45 days before he would be allowed into a program, and then it’s up to the prison.

Gross committed his first crime by touching a boy under 14 years old in December of 2000 in Bethel.

His subsequent five-year jail sentence was suspended except for one year. He also got four years probation.

It was recommended that he get counseling, but he didn’t.

Shortly after his release, he violated probation again by having contact with children under 16 in Augusta. His probation violation sentencing was continued in February and then in April of 2002 he was sentenced to 140 days in jail.

Considering the time he spent in jail prior to the sentencing, Gross was out in May.

On May 27, he was accused of assault when a groped a woman in Lewiston.

That got him another 30 days in jail in June.

In July his probation was revoked again for failing to undergo psychiatric treatment.

Then last August he was charged with offensive physical contact of a sexual nature and stalking.

Oxford County Assistant District Attorney Richard Beauchesne said sex offenders are often given “partials” for their probation revocations along the way in hopes that they will tire of these return trips and will get counseling.

But in many cases, offenders cannot afford counseling or do not want counseling.

They have to want it to give it a chance of working.

“Randy has come to the point where he accepts that he needs treatment,” Rabasco told the judge.

“With Gross, we tried as much as we could to give him the opportunity to avail himself of help,” Beauchesne said. “But there is limited help out there for him”

Beauchesne said sex offender counseling is expensive and not plentiful in Maine. It often exceeds the income capacity of offenders. He said the offender gets more chances because the state really wants the treatment to be successful and that successful treatment can prevent further victimization.

“The risk is that if he is not availing himself of treatment, others will be victimized,” Beauchesne said. “He wants help. I think he has shown a glimmer of recognition that he has a problem and would rather not have it.

“Recognizing the need is the first step.”

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