FARMINGTON — A Franklin County Superior Court justice reduced bail from $5,000 to $2,500 with a pretrial agreement for a Lewiston man accused of having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl in June.

Charles F. Fontenot, 30, is accused of taking her to Kentucky without parental consent and not returning her to her foster parent.

Fontenot has been in jail since he was arrested in July in Portland on warrant charges of a felony count of sexual abuse of a minor and a misdemeanor count of criminal restraint.

A missing-person search had been out for the teenager who was said to have run away from her foster home in New Sharon with Fontenot on June 10.

Defense attorney Woody Hanstein is appointed in the case.

The bad news is Fontenot has a record checkered with misdemeanors, he said. On the other hand, he never missed a court date, he said.

He has a job at Maine Concrete and would be living with his brother in Auburn, Hanstein said.

He asked for $500 cash bail to be set.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Matulis said the state objected to any change in bail. He listed several misdemeanor convictions, including thefts, criminal mischief and violation of condition of release. This is a case involving a 15-year-old girl and engaging in sexual relations, he said.

The defendant took her to Kentucky, he said. Family convinced them to come back, and they were met at a bus stop in Portland by federal marshals, Matulis said.

Fontenot has family in Mexico and Texas, Matulis said, and he is concerned he would leave the state or country and would not come back.

Justice Michaela Murphy set bail at $2,500 and a pretrial contract. Conditions include no contact with the victim and no contact with children younger than 16. He is allowed to have contact with his 16-year-old daughter and supervised contact with younger daughters.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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