PARIS — John Emery, 70, of West Paris made his initial appearance in Oxford County Unified Criminal Court on Wednesday on a felony sex assault charge. Bail was set at a $25,000 bond on his home.

Emery was charged Monday with gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual contact against a person under the age of 14. According to court records, the initial complaint about the assault was reported to the Department of Health and Human Services on April 28; an investigation was launched by the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office the same day. 

According to Detective Joshua Wyman, the day after the complaint was made to DHHS, the child was interviewed in Lewiston and said Emery had been assaulting the child for years, perhaps since the child was as young as 3 years old.

According to Wyman’s affidavit in support of Emery’s arrest, after each assault, Emery would “go to his gun cabinet or make a threat that he was going to his gun cabinet and grab a gun and make threats to harm himself,” according to the victim’s description.

Emery was arrested at his home on Trask Road in West Paris on Monday, and taken to the Oxford County Jail, where he was held without bail until his court appearance.

He will make his next appearance in court on Aug. 17, with a trial expected to begin in November.

If convicted, Emery faces up to 30 years in prison on the felony sex assault and 364 days for unlawful sexual contact. He also faces more than $50,000 in fines.

According to the Maine State Bureau of Identification, Emery has no previous criminal history in Maine.

In addition to the $25,000 bond, Emery’s bail conditions include no contact with the victim, no contact with any child under the age of 16 and no possession of weapons.