City man guilty of child molestation, faces 9 years prison
WOONSOCKET — A city man is facing up to nine years in prison after pleading no contest to first-degree child molestation this week, the attorney general’s office said.
George Elmer Dugas, 55, of 64 Bellevue Ave., short-circuited his jury trial in Superior Court by withdrawing his not guilty plea and entering a negotiated settlement with state prosecutors. Two other charges were dismissed as part of the settlement.
Had the case proceeded to trial, state prosecutors would have proved that Dugas molested a 13-year-old female – an individual with whom he was familiar – between Feb. 4, 2013 and Feb. 3, 2014, according to Kristy DosReis, spokesman for Attorney General Peter Neronha.
Police reports say the victim confided in a school counselor, prompting an investigation by members of the Woonsocket Police Department. The girl later told police that she had sexual contact with Dugas on a regular basis because she’d been trained by him to swap sexual favors for things she wanted, such as a restaurant meal.
“She explained that she would often have sex with him to get what she wanted such as food from Olive Garden, Chan’s, Empire Buffet, or Asia Grille,” a police report says.
Dugas remains free on $35,000 surety bail and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20 before Associate Superior Court Justice Susan E. McGuirl.
DosReis said Dugas is facing a maximum sentence of 25 years, with nine to serve at the Adult Correctional Institutions, and the balance suspended with probation. As part of the sentence, he is facing mandatory sex-offender registration.
Detective Jamie Martin of the WPD led the investigation into the case and Asst. Atty. Gen. Shannon Signore prosecuted it on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General.