SABATTUS — A Lewiston woman was arrested Thursday on some of the same charges faced by her husband, who has been accused of sexually abusing a girl.
Sabattus police arrested 25-year-old Christal Gagnier on a warrant charging her with tampering with a witness, endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated furnishing of scheduled drugs.
Gagnier, of 19 Peter Blvd. in Lewiston, was arrested at that address at about 9 a.m. and taken to the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn. She was released on $5,000 bail later that day.
Her husband, 34-year-old Michael Gagnier, has remained jailed since February, when he was charged with sexually abusing a girl over a period of four years beginning when she was 9 years old.
Michael Gagnier was indicted Wednesday on 38 counts of gross sexual assault. He was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child, tampering with a witness and furnishing drugs, the same charges now faced by his wife.
The indictment charges that the couple used force, intimidation or bribes in an attempt to convince the alleged victim to withhold evidence.
The couple is also accused of giving the girl azithromycin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat infections, including sexually transmitted diseases.
Endangering the welfare of a child, a charge faced by both Michael and Christal Gagnier, alleges that the couple recklessly endangered the health and safety of the girl, now 13.
The allegations came to light when the alleged victim told a youth worker at a Lewiston church that Gagnier had been sexually abusing her, police said. The case was investigated by Sabattus police Sgt. Gary Baillargeon. In his original affidavit, Christal Gagnier was said to be “shocked” by the allegations against her husband.
On Wednesday, an Androscoggin County grand jury indicted Christal on the three charges. However, the indictment was sealed until she was arrested and jailed. The document was unsealed on Thursday.
Both Gagniers are scheduled to appear in Androscoggin County Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
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- Christal Gagnier
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