FARMINGTON — A local man pleaded guilty Monday to taking photos of stalls in a unisex bathroom with a cellphone while a student at the University of Maine at Farmington during the 2015-16 academic year.

Ryan Holland, 21, of Farmington pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of violation of privacy in Franklin County Superior Court.

The photos were taken in the latter part of 2015 and in the spring of 2016.

There are at least three known victims, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Robinson said.

There is no actual proof of photos but Holland admitted to taking the photos, he said.

Defense attorney Walter Hanstein said Holland has no previous criminal record.

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Holland will have his sentence deferred for one year. He is not to have contact with the victims or to go on UMF property unless approved by campus police. If he complies with the agreement, he will be able to withdraw his pleas to two of the charges but one would remain on his record.

If Holland doesn’t complete the agreement, he is subject to the misdemeanor charges and an open sentence.

The maximum penalty for each charge is 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

At least two of the victims were concerned with dissemination of the photos in the future.

Holland knows that his cellphones and computers are subject to random searches, Hanstein said.

There is no indication the photos have been disseminated, Justice Harold Stewart II said.

According to court discussion, UMF has discharged him from the university.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net


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