PARIS — A Waterford man was sentenced to 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to assaulting his 5-year-old daughter last year.  

Gregory Turner, 52, received a five-year prison sentence with all but 60 days suspended and two years of probation at a sentencing hearing in Oxford County Superior Court on Friday afternoon.

Turner, who is a lifetime sex offender registrant, faced charges of aggravated assault, assault and domestic violence assault stemming from a Jan. 15, 2014, incident in which he repeatedly choked his now ex-wife and pushed her to the ground, causing her head to hit off the floor and her to lose consciousness. 

In exchange for the plea deal, prosecutors dropped the charges stemming from the attack on his former wife. The state said Turner’s 5-year-old daughter revived her mother by placing a wet cloth over her face, a fact that she testified to Friday. 

According to an affidavit, when the mother awoke, she was dragged to a couch and Turner pulled her leg, breaking it and causing ligament damage. As the mother and daughter were attempting to flee, Turner followed them to a car and spanked his daughter’s buttocks, causing swelling and a mark of a large red handprint. 

The duo fled to the home of a family acquaintance in Bridgton, who testified, stifling tears, that the daughter had severe bruising and was projectile vomiting. 

In October 2014, Turner was incarcerated for eight months for a probation revocation after he failed to register for the sex offender registry.

In an emotionally charged courtroom, family, friends and the victims presented two very different accounts of the defendant.

His ex-wife described years of abuse where she and her children grew increasingly mistrusting, exhibited behavioral problems and were visibly afraid of him.  Eventually, the deteriorating relationship culminated in the violent incident, she said. 

“The scars and psychological cruelty will be deep and long lasting and never as obvious as the punches and slaps that have caused the children and I deep harm,” she said. 

His daughter, now 6 years old, also testified, saying she never wanted to see her father again. 

“I want to lock him up in jail for a long time,” she said. 

Turner’s daughter from another marriage, a co-worker and a mother-in-law, also from another marriage, described a man who cared about family, instilled an ethic of hard work, trust and reliability in all who knew him.

In pleading for leniency, they said he never abused them, nor did they witness anything but love and respect for his children. 

Turner told Active-Retired Justice Robert Clifford that he committed a terrible mistake he’d have to pay for the rest of his life, but he remained committed to rebuilding his relationship with his daughter. 

“I can’t help my family in [prison]. Give me a chance, and I’ll prove to you that I can be a good man, work, provide and not be in trouble,” he said. 

In explaining his sentencing decision, Clifford said jail time had already been served, Turner had a  job awaiting him upon release, had taken responsibility for his actions and already served jail time for the probation revocation. 

In addition to the jail time, Turner is prohibited from contacting the victims and must complete a batterer domestic violence intervention program. His sentence was stayed until Aug. 1. 

According to Sun Journal records, Turner was given a suspended three-year sentence in 1986 for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a Paris woman. 

In 2004, he was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon and of offering crack cocaine and marijuana to a 16-year-old baby sitter. In that case, he was sentenced to serve nine months of a three-year prison sentence. 

In 2005, he was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Turner was arrested in August 2007 and charged with sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl, but the charge was dropped six months later because of insufficient evidence.

In 2010, the state dropped charges of kidnapping and assault after the woman involved declined to testify. 

ccrosby@sunmediagroup.net 

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